


Gives You Hell

by lostmyhealy (Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson)



Category: Electric Century, Fall Out Boy, My Chemical Romance, Panic! at the Disco
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Drug Use, Love Triangle, M/M, Rape
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-11
Updated: 2014-09-21
Packaged: 2018-02-08 09:58:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 26
Words: 29,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1936596
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loki_Likey_Thor_Odinson/pseuds/lostmyhealy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Brendon Urie is the school's star quarterback, loved by almost everyone in Belleville High. Mikey Way, a nerdy new kid from Newark, is pretty much the football team's favorite punching bag. Stereotypically, this little nerd and the big, bad jock don't get along too well... but a simple school project could change all that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Hypocrite

_Brendon’s P.O.V._  
  
“Bren, do you have the answers to yesterday’s geometry homework?”  
  
I rolled my eyes and sighed. “Jesus Christ, Ryan, I can’t keep giving you the answers to everything.”  
  
“C’mon, dude, helping your best friend with the homework he was too lazy to do the night before is part of the bro-code.”  
  
Ryan Ross, my best friend since we were kids, tended to use the “bro-code” as an excuse for everything. Personally, I never did believe in this nonexistent list of rules, but it was typically the only way to convince Ryan that he was wrong.  
  
“The so-called bro-code also states that I don’t have to give in to your request, especially when you use the bro-code as an excuse.”  
  
Ryan gave me a glare upon hearing my retort. “Thou hast spoke blasphemy towards the bro code!  **Blasphemy!** ”  
  
“I love you, too, Ryan.”  
  
Ryan huffed, “I guess I’ll get the answers off of Saporta later.”  
  
The bell rang, signaling the start of Sociology. Immediately, a rather tall, awkward-looking kid ran in, panting hard. I laughed when I recognized him. The kid’s name was Mikey Way, who recently moved in from Newark.  
  
Mikey was an awkward fellow- he was tall enough to be on the basketball team, but so thin, he could’ve been considered anorexic. His knees turned in towards each other, his glasses tended to slide down his nose, and he was the stereotypical embodiment of a high school spaz. I didn’t know much about him, but I decided that, from the moment I saw him, I didn’t like him. I wasn’t really one to go around and bully people, but for some reason or another, I got some strange satisfaction from hurting him. As far as I knew, his only friends were his brother and Justin Siegel, the bassist for the jazz band.  
  
“Well, it’s good to see you, Mister Way,” the teacher said, “You’re not late this time, so I suppose I’ll spare you the detention.” Mikey just nodded in response, taking his seat next to Justin.  
  
“Now, today, we will be discussing cultural norms. Please take out your notes and we shall begin…”  
  


* * *

  
  
The bell rang, signaling the end of sixth period. I put away my Sociology notes, sighing. Cultural norms were really a pain to learn about, especially since they were so different from each country. To make matters worse, we’re supposed to have some big project, which the teacher said she’d discuss tomorrow.  
  
“What do you think that project’s about, Bren?” Ryan asked.  
  
“Probably researching cultural norms or some shit like that,” I replied, taking my physics book out of my locker. “I mean, why else would we-”  
  
I was interrupted by the sound of some poor kid being slammed into a locker. I turned and saw our linebacker, Kellin Quinn, holding Mikey against the locker.  
  
“Watch where you’re fucking going, you little faggot!” His face was an inch or so away from Mikey’s, yet the latter didn’t show much fear.  
  
“First of all,” Mikey said, “ _You_  bumped into  _me._  Second, you should probably not curse so much. You sound like a complete retard.”  
  
Kellin slammed Mikey into the locker again, earning a groan of pain. “Shut the fuck up, Mikey Gay. You and your fucking boyfriend really should watch what you say around me!”  
  
“Justin’s not my boyfriend.”  
  
“You’re digging yourself a bigger hole, you little fag!”  
  
“Should we stop him?” Ryan asked, “I feel like we should stop him.”  
  
“Yeah, probably…” I walked up to Kellin and pulled him away. “Dude, if you keep doing this, you’ll be benched.  _Wait until after football season._ ”  
  
I expected a word of thanks from Mikey, but he simply walked away with Justin. I saw that coming, considering the fact that I’m usually the one hurling insults, but the little brat could’ve at least acknowledged the fact that I saved his ass.  
  
Once the hallway was clear, I punched Kellin in the gut.  
  
“Dude, what the f-”  
  
I said, “If I hear you say the word  _faggot_  or anything related to it, I’ll personally make sure that you won’t talk for a while. Understand?”  
  
Kellin was too afraid to question me. “Y-y-yes, Brendon.”  
  


* * *

  
  
“Well, you have to admit that it was rather hypocritical to call Kellin out when you’re usually the one who pushes Mikey around.”  
  
“I don’t hit the kid,” I told my friend Pete. “And I definitely don’t go as far as to make fun of some kid’s sexuality. I mean, one of my best friends is gay, and you’re bi.”  
  
“Even so,” Pete said, “It’s a pretty hypocritical move to verbally assault some poor kid, then defend him when someone else decides that it’d be fun to hurt that same kid.”  
  
Pete Wentz was probably the most obnoxious, yet philosophical kid in school. There was no way anyone could hate him. Even the homophobes liked him. Seriously, Pete was immune to hate! One minute, he’ll be smoking pot in the restroom, then the next, he’ll chat up some kid contemplating suicide and make them feel loved. I guess that’s why we’re pretty good friends. If it’s something that I can’t go to Ryan about (or I’ve talked about it so much with Ryan, he gets sick of hearing it), I always go to Pete.  
  
“Yeah, maybe it is,” I conceded, “But I can’t help it!”  
  
“Well, it’s human nature. We have sitcoms and movies to blame for this,” Pete said, “I mean, it’s an age-old story- nerds and jocks just do not mix. Keep in mind, we’re all decent people, really, but we’re afraid that our friends will reject us. Subconsciously, you might think that Mikey’s actually a pretty cool guy, but consciously, you’re too worried about how the football team will react to you being friends with their favorite punching bag.”  
  
Ah, this was philosophical Pete talking. Hard to believe that we’re friends, right?  
  
“Y’know, I have a hard time believing that you’re the same guy that smokes weed in the restrooms.”  
  
“I get that a lot.” Pete crossed his arms and sighed. “Look, Bren, I’m not saying that you have to like him. I’m saying that you need to choose whether or not you want to hurt him or leave him alone. Things like this could end terribly, and I know for a fact that you do not want to face the wrath of Gerard Way.”  
  


* * *

  
  
“Now, as I’m sure you all remember,” the teacher said, “we will be starting a project today. This will be a partner project-”  
  
Upon hearing that, everyone cheered. However, the teacher interrupted our celebration with a cough.  
  
“Don’t get too excited. Since the last partner project failed miserably, as very few of you actually did your work, I have taken the liberty of choosing your partners.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Are you serious?”  
  
“Oh, come on!”  
  
“Stop your complaining,” the teacher said. She grabbed her clipboard and began reading off names.  
  
“Bob, you’ll be working with Kellin…” She continued reading, and I tuned out until I heard my name.  
  
“Brendon, you’re working with Mikey.”  
  
Even from across the room, I could see Mikey’s eyes widen. He gave the teacher a sideways glance, silently questioning her sanity. He then gave me a look, which pretty much radiated hate and anger.  
  
I determined that this would not end well.


	2. You Have Got To Be Kidding Me

_~~~Mikey's POV~~~_  
  
I stared at Miss. Ballato. Was she insane? I'd gone to her just yesterday about Brendon's snide comments towards me. I shoved my hand in the air.  
"Mr. Way?"  
"Miss Ballato please.. Is there anyway Justin and I could work together? We did our work last time."  
"Then Brendon and Ryan would be together and either Brendon would do all the work or it wouldn't be done. No, Mr. Way. You're working alongside Mr. Urie this time."  
I slumped, defeated, in my seat. I felt like crying. I looked over at Brendon to see him annoyed. Justin nudged my shoulder.  
"We could just do it ourselves and leave them out of it?"  
"And get a detention?"  
He shrugged and started copying the project down on the board. The class started muttering, as usual, when Miss. Ballato turned around. She spun round.  
"Brendon Urie, Ryan Ross, just because my back is turned does not mean I cannot hear you. Justin swap places with Brendon."  
I lay my head on the desk, going down with a bit of a thump and not caring that everyone stared at me for a few seconds. I heard the chair scrape as Brendon pulled it out and I glanced over at him before ignoring him completely. I kept copying down the notes and peeks up through my fringe as my brother walked into the classroom. He returned the small wave I gave him.  
"Miss. Ballato, Mr. Weekes needs your help turning the projector on. It's not turning on and we've tried everything."  
My heart sank.  
"Alright, class get with your partners and start working on your projects."  
My eyes followed her as she walked out. Brendon glanced at me before taking my glasses. I sighed and made no move to retrieve them. He started poking my side with them and I closed my eyes, doing my best to shut him out.  
"Aww come on Mikey. No teacher. Come and fight back."  
I grit my teeth and turned to give Justin a longing look. He shrugged his shoulders and pulled a face in an attempt to make me laugh. I half-smiled before turning back, pulling my hood up. Brendon yanked it back down. Tears pricked in my eyes as he caught my hair. I could feel my anger building up; it had been for some days now. I silently begged Miss. Ballato to come back.  
"Aww poor ickle Mikey. You don't even have a proper friend other than your brother."  
He poked my side hard and it exploded in pain. I jumped up.  
"HOW ABOUT YOU JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP AND LEAVE ME ALONE. I DON'T EVEN WANT TO WORK WITH YOU YOU PIECE OF SHIT. JUST GET YOUR HALF OF THE PROJECT DONE AND GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY LIFE."  
"MR. WAY!"  
I jumped around guiltily and looked down.  
"For that language and behaviour you have a lunch time detention. Now sit down and get on with your work."  
I sunk back into my seat, the jocks in the class giggling. I snatched my glasses off of Brendon and started working.  
Brendon's knees collided with my elbow and I groaned in slight pain.  
"I'll be at your house at 7 tonight. Let's get this fucking over with.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I kept working as the bell went, sighing heavily and glancing at Justin. He shrugged and went to meet my brother outside the door who was staring at me with a confused look. I waved him off as he left with Justin. I finished my plan about ten minutes later and stared out the window. My mouth dropped at what I saw. My brother almost pinning Brendon to a wall, Justin and a load of jocks holding him back. I jumped up.  
"Mr. Way, sit down!"  
"But Miss-"  
"I SAID SIT DOWN."  
I sunk back down into my chair and looked to see a teacher breaking it up.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I stumbled home after school through the maze of streets. I would be alone until about ten tonight. Gerard was an honour's student so was studying with his mate, Frank. I groaned and unlocked the door. I had so much homework but I didn't care. I dropped my bag by the bottom of the stairs and walked upstairs. I checked the time on my phone. 6.30. I went for a shower, putting on a mixed playlist on my phone. I turned the shower on and stripped, stepping under the hot spray of water. I hummed along to Joy Division, singing a little at parts as I washed. I leant against the wall and smiled softly. So peaceful and calm. In This Moment came on and I started singing at the top of my voice.  
"Can you be my whore?"  
I opened my eyes and screamed, pulling the shower curtain shut. What the fuck was Brendon doing in my bathroom?


	3. Common Ground

_Brendon’s P.O.V._  
  
I’d be lying if I said that I wasn’t nervous about going to Mikey’s place. Mikey was a total pushover, that was true, but his big brother, as Pete told me, was a force to be reckoned with. I had never been more terrified in my life than those brief moments with Gerard, so it was going to make working with Mikey… well… awkward.  
  
I was about fifteen minutes early, but I didn’t think it would be a big deal. I knocked on the door, expecting Mikey to answer. Unfortunately, not a soul came to answer the door. Finally, I grew impatient, and just as I was about to go for the lock picking kit that I, um, _found_ , something told me to just try opening it.  
  
The door was fucking unlocked.  
  
I walked into the house, which was pretty much dead. For a moment, I wondered if I was given the right address. I then heard the shower running upstairs and concluded that Mikey was obviously in there.  
  
I checked the clock on the wall, which read  _6:47_. A grin the rivaled the Cheshire Cat appeared on my face- why don’t I give the little brat a heart attack before we’re forced to do the project?  
  
I walked up the stairs and moved towards what I assumed to be the bathroom. I would hear music blasting through, as well as Mikey’s singing (which, actually, wasn’t that bad). I opened the door silently and was now able to actually hear the song playing. I recognized it immediately and, without a second thought, sang, “Can you be my whore?”  
  
The look on Mikey’s face was priceless. He screamed and shut the curtain all the way before poking his head out.  
  
“What the actual fuck?!” he asked, “Do you not fucking grasp the concept of privacy?” His face was bright red from embarrassment. For some reason, though, I thought it was… _cute_. The thought lasted only mere moments, though, since I remembered  _why_  I did this.  
  
“It’s not like you were masturbating or some shit, Way,” I laughed, “Dude, do you have any idea how many times I’ve seen the football team naked? This, in no way, freaks me out.”  
  
“If I weren’t naked right now, I’d fucking grab a shotgun-”  
  
“Whoa, calm down, dude! If we’re gonna do this project, we might as well not argue, right?” I sighed and said, “Look, I’ll stop torturing you like this for as long as we’re partners on this project. I’m probably still gonna call you names, but no hitting, I promise.”  
  
“First of all,” Mikey deadpanned, “You never  _did_  hit me… at least, y’know, not like Kellin or Johnny or Matt. And second, I don’t trust you. I don’t like you, and you don’t like me. I don’t want to do this, and neither do you. As long as you just do your goddamn half of the project, we’re good.” Mikey gave a tiny sigh and muttered, “Um… h-how did you get in here, anyway?”  
  
“Door was unlocked.”  
  
“Of course it was.” An awkward silence set upon us for a minute before Mikey added, “Could you, uh, wait downstairs for another few minutes so I can, uh, finish up here and dress?”  
  
Deciding that it was awkward enough already in here, I agreed.  
  


* * *

  
  
After Mikey had finished showering and was now fully clothed, I was led up to his room. I’m not quite sure  _what_  I was expecting, but it definitely was something completely different.  
The walls of Mikey’s room were painted red, with posters of various bands decorating them. Misfits, Queen, Joy Division, Anthrax, Morrissey, and several Smashing Pumpkins posters nearly covered the red paint. On a decent-sized cork board next to one of the Smashing Pumpkins posters, I saw a number of ticket stubs from various concerts tacked up, proudly showcasing the large number of concerts that Mikey had been to. In the corner, I saw two large cases decorated with bumper stickers and decals.  
  
“I feel like Alice in a musical Wonderland,” I said, “Jesus Christ, Way, how many concerts have you been to?”  
  
“That’s a good question,” Mikey chuckled, “Too many, I guess. Most of them are from Smashing Pumpkins concerts, though.”  
  
I took a closer look at the stubs and noted that, yes, a majority of them were, in fact, Smashing Pumpkins tickets. “Ever got a chance to meet any of them?”  
  
“Uh… no. But I’ve been so close, Billy Corgan practically spat on me.”  
  
“Ew.”  
  
“Yeah, a little.” Mikey grabbed his school bag and sat down on the bed, grabbing his notebook and a pencil. “We should probably get started.”  
  
“Yeah.” I joined him on the bed and opened my bag, searching for my composition book for Sociology. Once I found it, I opened it to the next blank page. “So… what exactly are we doing for this project. I, uh, I wasn’t exactly listening.”  
  
“We’re supposed to create a society with some sort of theme. It has to have norms, languages, religions, exports, et cetera.” Mikey ran a hand through his brown locks and asked, “So… any ideas?”  
  
“How about something musical? Y’know, a society that warships Freddie Mercury and Henry Rollins,” I suggested.  
  
Mikey gave me a stunned look. “You’re not wanting to do a  _football-themed society_? You’re not going to threaten me for not wanting to have Eli Manning as the god of awesome or some shit like that?”  
  
“Do you think all jocks are like that?”  
  
“Well, yeah.”  
  
“Mikey, you’ve got quite a bit to learn about the world of high school athletics…”  
  


* * *

  
  
Over the next few days, I started learning more and more about Mikey. The kid played bass (like me), guitar, and clarinet, wrote horror stories in his spare time, and couldn’t live without his music. Slowly, we grew more and more comfortable with each other… we could’ve been friends, actually.  
  
Unfortunately, my pride refused to have it. I think that, deep down, Mikey understood, but I could see the hurt in his eyes when I’d continue acting like he was the bane of my existence. I had a hard time ignoring the feeling of self-loathing that I’d get when I saw that look, and I wanted nothing more than to reassure him that I really did like him, that I wanted to be friends.  
  
“Brendon… why do you hate me?”  
  
I was taken out of my thoughts by Mikey’s rather blunt question. He avoided eye contact with me, preventing me from seeing his true emotions.  
  
“I… I don’t hate you, Mikey,” I finally said, “I… I wasn’t fair to you. I was  _never_  fair to you, and for that, I’m sorry. You don’t deserve that hate. I just… the team-”  
  
“You were  _pressured_  into hating me.”  
  
“No! N… well… yeah. I guess I was.”  
  
“Brendon,” Mikey said, “I know peer pressure is a hard thing to fight. You don’t want to lose your friends, and I understand that.”  
  
“Tha-”  
  
“But,” Mikey added, “That doesn’t mean you have to become a bully.” He sighed and finally looked up at me. For the first time ever, he smiled at me. “I can see that this isn’t you, and that there’s actually a really nice person hiding behind the façade you’ve put up. If your friends can’t accept you for who you are, then… they’re not really your friends.”  
  
Mikey paused, biting his lip. “I… I need you to promise that the thing I’m about to tell you will stay between the two of us.” I nodded, prompting him to continue. Mikey rolled up his sleeve and showed me a scar on his wrist. “I… I made this scar about a year ago, before I moved here. The bullying became too much for me to handle, and I just… I cut a little too deep, and-”  
  
Without thinking, I pulled Mikey into a tight hug. He went stiff, obviously surprised by the sudden contact. “B-Brendon?”  
  
“I’m so sorry,” I murmured, “If… If I knew that you did this-”  
  
“I don’t do it anymore,” Mikey said, tearing up. “I stopped, because… because I know that I’m better than that. That’s why I moved- I wanted a new beginning, Brendon.”  
  
I wiped at a few tears that began to fall down his delicate face, murmuring quiet apologies to him.


	4. Mama We All Go To Hell

_~~~Mikey's POV~~~_  
  
I woke up to my alarm and groaned. I flickered my eyes open and sat listening to the sweet noise of Joy Division. I heard footsteps and turned my eyes to my locked door. Gerard rattled the handle.  
"Turn that shit off would you?"  
I hit the button and got up, stretching.  
"Gee, can I get a lift in today?"  
I cracked my neck as he grunted and started getting dressed. I opted for my black skinnies, black knee-high converse and a Smashing Pumpkins shirt. I brushed my hair for ten minutes before giving in and grabbing a grey beanie. I looked over my glasses and opted for my black and white rimmed ones. I loved these. I packed mine and Brendon's project, we'd done a surprising amount over the weekend, before grabbing my headphones, phone and school bag, running downstairs to eat. I grabbed my brother's toast from his hands and leant on the wall, chewing it.  
"You piss me off, Michael."  
"What happened between you and Frank?"  
"Promise not to tell anyone?"  
I nodded.  
"We were sort of dating I guess. He's step-brother's with Brendon and uh something happened between us and he broke up with me."  
"Bro.."  
I opened my arms and hugged him tightly.  
"You'll be alright."  
He nodded and I grinned.  
"Now how about that ride, Gee-Bear?"  
"You got it Mikes."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I rushed into school, late. Only Gerard could forget to fill up his bloody car with gas. I ran into Social Studies and screeched slightly. Justin's face was bruised with a bloody nose; Brendon was sitting in Justin's seat and Miss. Ballato was no where to be seen. I rushed over to Justin.  
"What happ-"  
Kellin shoved me back.  
"Fuck off fag."  
I fell back and landed heavily on my arm. I felt it twinge and cringed a little. I hoped to God it wasn't broken.  
"Guys just leave him. Miss. Ballato will be back any minute."  
Brendon helped me up and I sat down in my seat.  
"What happened?"  
"They told Justin to move and he didn't.."  
I looked back at him, staring at the floor. He looked so miserable. Miss. Ballato came in and called for attention.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I rubbed Justin's back as he cried into my shoulder. I was awkwardly getting my books out of my locker. Gerard came running over and I mumbled what had happened. I saw Brendon laughing about with the jocks and I passed Justin to Gerard. I walked over slowly.  
"Hey Bren, do you wanna come over mine to-"  
"Why would I do that?"  
He smirked, avoiding eye contact. I blinked.  
"For the project? Like you did over the weekend?"  
"I wasn't with you over the weekend, dude. I was out of town with my girlfriend. Jesus are you that pathetic you're lying now?"  
The bell rang and the hallway started to clear. Brendon gave me a guilty look as the jocks left.  
"Mikey I'm s-"  
"I thought we were cool Brendon. Fuck you."  
I stormed off, in the opposite direction to my class. I slammed the bathroom door shut and locked it, sliding down it and sobbing. I reached into the front pocket of my bag and felt the cool metal. It'd been a year and a half... Was I really going to give in now?


	5. Love, Hate, Love

_Brendon’s P.O.V._  
  
"I thought we were cool, Brendon. Fuck you."  
  
Mikey sounded like he was on the verge of tears when he turned and left me alone in the hall. Guilt immediately flooded through me as I decided to follow him, not caring about possibly being late to my next class.  
  
Mikey stormed into the bathroom, and in seconds, I heard one of the stall doors slam shut. As I stepped into the bathroom, I heard small sobs, which only made me feel worse. I could hear him going through his pockets for something.  
  
“M… Mikey?” A called softly, knocking on one of the stall doors. I heard a tiny gasp escape him, as though he thought that I wouldn’t try to follow him.  
  
“Brendon, what the-”  
  
“Mikey, I’m sorry,” I said, cutting him off, “I… I’m  _really_  sorry. I shouldn’t have said that. I shouldn’t have called you pathetic, and I shouldn’t have accused you for lying, but I… I panicked.”  
  
“Even if you did panic,” Mikey whimpered, “You still didn’t have to say that. Just… just leave me alone, Brendon. After this project, I want  _nothing_  to do with you.”  
  
“Mikey-”  
  
“Just shut up! If you really gave a damn, you wouldn’t have done that to me!”  
  
I sighed, feeling like an even bigger jackass than I already was. “Okay… okay, Mikey. Just come out, okay?”  
  
He seemed hesitant, but finally came out, stuffing something back into his pocket. I thought I saw a little glint of silver. “Mikey, what was that?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“That thing you just put into your pocket.”  
  
“N-nothing, Brendon. Just my cellphone.”  
  
“That’s bullshit, Mikey,” I said. I pushed him against the wall to ensure that he wouldn’t get away, easily withstanding his feeble attempts at pushing me away. I reached into his pocket, hissing in pain when something cut my finger.  
  
My eyes widened in sudden realization. I pulled out the sharp object, which was a razor blade.  
  
“Mikey, were you going to..?” I couldn’t even finish the question. I released Mikey from my grasp and threw the razor blade away, ignoring the whimper of protest that escaped him. I pulled him into a tight hug and forced myself to ask it.  
  
“Were you going to do…  _that_?”  
  
Another whimper escaped Mikey as he buried his face into my shoulder. I gently began to rub soothing circles onto his back, allowing him to cry. At this moment, I realized something…  
  
I really did like Mikey.  
  
Fuck the football team. Y’know what? Fuck my so-called friends, fuck them all! Mikey was a nice guy, who, in all honesty, didn’t deserve to be treated this way.  
  
“Shh,” I murmured, bringing Mikey a bit closer. “You’ll be okay. I promise.”  
  


* * *

  
  
At lunch the next day, I had a plan in mind. I simply had to make sure that it would be properly triggered. I needed a way to let Mikey know that what I was about to do was for him, and to tell the football team that I no longer wanted to hurt him.  
  
As I predicted, Kellin was the one to start the fight. Mikey and Justin sat three tables or so across from us, so I had a decent view as to what was going down. Kellin started off by poking and prodding Mikey, obviously trying to provoke him. Justin was trying to get Kellin to stop, but he was obviously getting nowhere.  
  
“I’ll be right back,” I told Ryan.  
  
“Where’re you going?” Ryan asked, his mouth full of what was supposed to be ravioli.  
  
“I’ve got a little issue that needs to be solved,” I said. I walked over to where Mikey and Justin sat and tapped Kellin on his shoulder.  
  
“Look, man,” I said, “Give the kid a break.”  
  
“C’mon, Bren, we’re just having a little fun,” Kellin said, “Aren’t we, Way?”  
  
“Your definition of fun is pretty fucked up,” Mikey spat.  
  
“You little faggot!” Kellin pushed Mikey out of his chair. Mikey landed with a grunt. Kellin was fully prepared to jump on him, and Mikey braced himself for impact.  
  
I grabbed Kellin by the back of his shirt and pushed him away from Mikey. He was so shocked, he barely had a chance to prepare himself for the punch to the face I gave him.  
  
“What the fuck, Bren?”  
  
“Shut the fuck up and listen, Kellin,” I said. I pointed at Mikey. “That kid right there, he’s not your punching bag anymore. Say what you want behind his back if you must, but I’m tired of seeing you hurt him.”  
  
“Why do you care? You’re just as bad as I am!”  
  
“That’s true… but unlike you, I’m willing to change that.” I gave Mikey a quick glance before continuing. “I was at his place over the weekend for our project. That’s the fucking truth. Y’know, I feel like a jackass, considering the fact that I actually learned that I had quite a bit in common with Mikey. We get this idea that the jocks can’t be friends with nerds, and that’s total bullshit. A sitcom just isn’t real life. Maybe if you did what I did and got  _your_  head out of your ass, maybe you’d see the world in a different light.”  
  
I walked over to Mikey, who had a stunned look on his face. I helped him up and whispered, “I promise that I’ll try to be a better friend.”  
  
Mikey gave me a small, shy smile. “Thank you, Brendon.”  
  


* * *

  
  
Pete gave me a grin when he saw me. “Can’t believe you did that, Bren. You really made some poor kid’s day, you know that?”  
  
“Yeah… yeah, I have, haven’t I?”  
  
“Actually,” Pete said, “I think that’s the first time I’ve ever seen Mikey smile.”  
  
“It’s incredibly rare,” I sighed, “I’ve only seen him smile once before, Pete. It’s just… incredible.”  
  
Pete gave me a knowing smirk. “He’s really wormed his way into your heart, huh?”  
  
“Well… yeah, I guess so.”  
  
Pete leaned back against the wall and asked, “Brendon, have you ever considered your sexuality?”  
  
“Wh-what?! Well, I… yes, but… I just… I’ve never-”  
  
“You’ve never really been attracted to a person of the same sex.”  
  
“Yes. Exactly.” I sighed, frustrated. “I… I know now that Mikey and I could be friends. I just… I don’t know if I  _love_  him.”  
  
“You might not,” Pete said, “At least, not  _now._  I can see that it might be going that way, though. If you  _do_  love him, though, keep one thing in mind- you have to be willing to be open about your relationship. You can’t be afraid of what your friends will think. Mikey will want to hold your hand, if he even swings that way. For a little while, a secret relationship will be cool… but I can see that, if Mikey really wants to be happy, he’ll want to be open about it.”  
  


* * *

  
  
“Uh,  _hello?_  Earth to Brendon!”  
  
“Huh?”  
  
Mikey gave me a look. “I asked if you were hungry. Gee wanted to know if you’re staying for dinner.”  
  
“Oh… sorry,” I said, “I… uh… sure. I’d be happy to stay for dinner.”  
  
Mikey gave me a smile, the same one that made me feel so… strange. “Great. Don’t tell my mom, but Gerard’s probably the best at cooking in this household.”  
  
I chuckled, smiling at Mikey. I sighed and asked, “Mikey, can you keep a secret?”  
  
Mikey raised his eyebrows. “Yeah, man. What’s up?”  
  
“Yesterday, I had this really long talk with Pete. He asked me if I ever, y’know, considered my sexuality.” Mikey nodded, prompting me to continue. “I… we talked about this guy, who I might like a little more than I’m supposed to, and I just…”  
  
“You  _think_  you’re bi?” Mikey asked.  
  
“Yeah. I think,” I sighed, “But you can’t tell anyone. I’m not even sure what my parents would think of it, and I’m pretty sure the football team is pissed at me for defending you. I just need more time to think about how I’m supposed to go about this.”  
  
“Your secret’s safe with me, Brendon,” Mikey said, a smile on his face. “I… I’m not straight, either, so I’m not in any position to judge.”  
  
“Really? You’re bi?”  
  
“Uh, no,” he said, “ _Completely_  and  _undeniably_  gay.”  
  
“Huh. You’ve always seemed more asexual than anything else.”  
  
“I didn’t really want to be that open about it.” Mikey sighed, running a hand through his hair. “I was out of the closet at my old school, but the bullying there grew because of that. My boyfriend at the time prompted me to come out, then ditched me as soon as I did. I decided that I wasn’t going to come out to everyone the day I moved here.”  
  
My heart was suddenly racing.  _He wouldn’t hate me if I took a chance right now._  He might be a little angry with me if he didn’t feel the same way, but he wouldn’t hate my guts. I pulled him in for a kiss without a second thought.


	6. Bring It, Punk

_~~~Mikey's POV~~~_  
  
My eyes widened as I felt Brendon's lips against my own. They closed and I cupped his cheek, stroking it with my thumb as I kissed him back. His hands held my hips and I tilted my head, opening my mouth ever so slightly when I felt his tongue pressing against my lips. It brushed past my lips and into my mouth, wrestling my own for dominance. We fell back onto my bed. I gave up and let him win before he pulled away, looking down at me. I blushed and nuzzled his neck.  
"Brendon..."  
"Shhh.. Don't say a word Mikes..."  
Our lips met again and I slid my arm around him, pressing up to him. Something hit the window and we broke apart. I ran over to see Kellin and some jocks running off with something that looked like a camera. A ladder was propped up against my window sill. I turned to tell Brendon to find him next to me. His face was pale, his knuckles white as he clenched his fists. I pulled him away from the window and hugged him.  
"It's gonna be alright.. I promise."  
His fists clenched in my shirt and he broke down in tears against my shoulder.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I lead a red eyed Brendon downstairs when Gerard called us down. His eyebrows disappeared under his fringe. I texted it all out to him under the table as we ate in silence. His face contorted into anger.  
"Tell your principal.."  
Brendon shook his head.  
"Won't do anything about it. He doesn't care."  
I gripped his hand and kissed the back of it. He smiled weakly at me.  
"Stay the night Bren? You have your stuff with you."  
He nodded.  
"I think I will."  
He leant in a kissed me, short and sweet.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Joy Division woke me up from my slumber. I was curled against Brendon, my head on his bare chest. He groaned and threw a pillow at my radio.  
"Bren get up."  
I shoved him and he fell out of the bed. I laughed and turned the music off, standing inside my wardrobe awkwardly as I got dressed. I came out and Brendon giggled.  
"You just come out the closet for me, babe?"  
I threw the discarded pillow at him, laughing.  
"Shut up and get dressed."  
I went downstairs and jumped on Gee's back.  
"Can we get a liiiiiiift if you have gaaaaaaaaaaaas?"  
He shrugged me off and nodded, rubbing his eyes and going to get some food. I nicked a slice of his toast and screamed as he chased me, running into Brendon. I ended up on the floor and looked up at Brendon with a slice of toast stuck in my mouth. He shook his head and helped me up before taking the slice for himself.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I shoved my Chemistry book in my locker, glancing around somewhat nervously. The moment Kellin came in, I was gonna get a pounding, I knew it. I picked at my shirt and frowned at the unfamiliar material. I was wearing Brendon's shirt. Great, now they were gonna think we'd slept together. I leant my forehead on my locker and groaned. Brendon's arm slid around me slightly.  
"Chin up, Mikes."  
I looked up at him.  
"I wasn't exactly planning to be outed in my third month he-"  
"Fags fags fags."  
My eyes closed as Austin slammed me against my locker, chanting in my face. I heard Brendon's protests as they held him back. I felt my anger boiling in my stomach and brought my knee up to smash into his balls. Austin dropped me and groaned in pain.  
"It's Mikey, bitch."  
I went to walk off when I was pinned to the lockers by him again. My scream of pain echoed around the lockers as his fist met my face. I heard a roar of rage and saw Gerard sprinting towards me.


	7. You Can't Touch My Brother

_Gerard’s P.O.V._  
  
“So, your brother and my step-brother, huh?”  
  
I wasn’t exactly in the mood to talk to Frank. I didn’t hate him or anything… it was just really awkward to talk to him. I mean, he is my ex-boyfriend, after all.  
  
“I’m just as surprised as you are,” I sighed. I glanced over at Mikey and Brendon, who were talking about halfway down the hall. “Not even a week ago, they hated each other’s guts. Now they’re boyfriends. That escalated quickly.”  
  
Frank snorted, “Yeah, it did, didn’t it?” He smiled, which made my heart skip a beat. “It’s good to see that they’re happy. They both deserve it… especially Mikey.”  
  
“The team caught Brendon and Mikey kissing last night,” I said, sighing heavily, “They were taking pictures.”  
  
“Are you serious?” Frank asked, anger in his eyes. “They’re supposed to be his fr-”  
  
Frank was interrupted by the sound of a body being shoved against the lockers. I immediately looked over in Mikey’s direction and, sure enough, someone had him pinned up against his locker. Mikey didn’t seem to be afraid, though- he seemed to be trying to stand his ground.  
  
Brendon was being held back by a few guys from the football team, while the guy that held Mikey against the lockers- I think his name was Austin- continued to provoke him. Imagine my surprise when I saw Mikey knee him in the balls. A smile crossed my face as Austin fell to the floor, his hands immediately going for his crotch.  
  
My happiness was short-lived, though, when Austin recovered, pinning Mikey against the locker once again. He punched Mikey hard in the face, which immediately put me into protective big brother mode. I sprinted towards Austin, a bestial snarl escaping me as I tore him off my brother. Brendon had managed to work his way out of his ex-friends’ grasp and immediately pulled Mikey close to his chest, taking him away from the fight that was currently ensuing.  
  
“You listen here, you son of a bitch,” I hissed, holding Austin against the locker that he had held Mikey against earlier. “If you touch my brother again, I’ll be sure that you won’t be able to masturbate without pain for the rest of your scumbag life. Hell, if you pick on any poor little kid again, I’ll castrate you in front of your girlfriend. Are we clear, Carlile?”  
  
“You don’t have the guts, you fa-  _oh holy fucking shit!_ ” My knee slammed into Austin’s crotch, causing his voice to go up several octaves. I let him go and walked away, leaving him in pain.  
  


* * *

  
  
“How bad does it look?” Mikey asked, resting his head on Brendon’s shoulder.  
  
“Do you want me to be honest or be nice?” I asked, handing Mikey an ice pack. He accepted it and placed it on his cheek, whimpering him pain.  
  
“That bad, huh?”  
  
“Yeah.”  
  
Brendon pulled Mikey closer, pressing a kiss onto his other cheek. Mikey sighed in content, nuzzling Brendon’s neck. “Maybe now they’ll leave me alone.”  
  
“I’m sure they will,” Brendon said, rocking Mikey a little. “I may have lost quite a bit of respect from the team for being bi, but I am the best player they have. I told the coach that I was gonna quite if they kept hurting you.”  
  
“Oh, really?” I asked, “Brendon, you didn’t have to do that.”  
  
“Honestly, I’m getting tired of them. I never noticed before, but they really are dicks.” He pecked Mikey’s lips and added, “I feel horrible for ever being a part of that.”  
  
“Well, you’re not now,” Mikey said, a smile on his face, “You’re a better person for seeing that. I… I love you, Brendon.”  
  
Brendon seemed surprised by Mikey’s quiet declaration, but he didn’t seem disgusted. He smiled back at Mikey and replied, “I love you, too, Mikey.” I smiled as they kissed each other once again, the two of them looking quite happy with one another.  
  
“I gotta go, babe,” Brendon said, “Promised Ryan that I’d help him with his geometry homework. Talk to you later.”  
  
“Bye, Brendon.”  
  
Once Brendon was out of earshot, Mikey sighed. “I’m so glad he doesn’t hate me. I, um, I did sort of get him into this.”  
  
I gave Mikey a look. “Mikes, I thought  _he_  kissed  _you_.”  
  
“I know, Gee, but I just feel guilty about it. He asked me to keep a secret, and I blew it without saying a word.”  
  
I pulled Mikey into an embrace, kissing his forehead. “He doesn’t blame you, Mikey. If he did, he wouldn’t have stayed with you. Now, c’mon, let’s get you home.”  
  


* * *

  
  
While I was in the middle of making dinner, I heard a knock on the door. Cursing, I ran out of the kitchen to answer it. Standing there was Brendon, who had something hidden behind his back.  
  
“Is, uh, is this a bad time? I can come back later, if you want,” Brendon said.  
  
“No, um, you’re fine. You’re fine.” I moved over to allow Brendon to enter. “I thought you were helping your friend out with his homework.”  
  
“It turns out that Ryan, and I quote, ‘shipped’ Mikey and I before we were ‘canon,’” Brendon said, clearly amused. “He took me to buy this for Mikey.” He took the object he had hidden behind his back out from behind him- it was a Mickey Mouse plushy. “Um… look, I know that this is really cliché, and I told Ryan that a billion times, but-”  
  
“Actually, it’s kinda sweet,” I said, “Mikey will love it. He’s upstairs, by the way. You’re welcome to stay for dinner, if you’d like.”  
  
“Thanks, Gerard,” Brendon replied, smiling.  
  
“Brendon, I’d like to have a word with you before you go up to see Mikey.” Brendon nodded, which prompted me to continue. “Look… Mikey’s only had one other relationship, and that nearly ended up killing him. I understand that, eventually, the thing between you might end, but please don’t hurt him. He deserves someone who is willing to love and care for him, not someone looking for a quick fuck.” I paused, sighing. “I, uh, I understand that, um, you two might… y’know… but please, don’t take advantage of him. He doesn’t need that.”  
  
Brendon seemed offended when I brought up this particular issue. “Gerard, I’d never do that to Mikey. I know that this seems hard to believe, considering the fact that I’ve really hurt him in the past… but I love him. I don’t want to have sex with him- well, okay,  _I do,_ but I want more than that. I want him to smile and be happy. He… he has a really cute smile.”  
  
I smiled at Brendon. Perhaps he wouldn’t be the one to hurt Mikey.  
  


* * *

  
  
The house was now extremely quiet, which caused my brotherly instincts to kick in. It was probably nothing, but I had to make sure that Mikey was okay. I ran up the stairs and over to Mikey’s room. I knocked on the door, calling Mikey’s name. When he didn’t answer, I opened the door, which presented me with a heartwarming sight.  
  
Mikey and Brendon were curled up beneath Mikey’s duvet, sound asleep. Mikey’s head rested on Brendon’s chest, the comfort of his boyfriend’s heartbeat keeping the nightmares that often plagued him away. Brendon’s arms were wrapped protectively around Mikey, assuring him that, even in sleep, he’d keep him safe.  
  
I left the two of them alone, smiling to myself. If Mikey was happy, then I was, too.


	8. The Divine Infection

_~~~Justin's POV~~~_  
  
I walked into class a little early and rolled my eyes, watching Brendon and Mikey sucking each other's souls out. I went over and tapped Mikey's shoulder. He turned to see me and blushed a little.  
"Hey."  
"Hey Mikes. I'm free this weekend if you wanna get a coffee?"  
He nodded.  
"Sure, sounds great."  
He squeaked when Brendon nibbled his neck. He turned and locked lips with Brendon again. I sighed and sat down in between Ryan and Pete.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I sat outside Starbucks staring at my cold coffee. Mikey was supposed to meet me here an hour and a half ago. I groaned and got up, wrapping my jacket around me as the cold wind blew. I scuffed my shoes as I walked along the side of the road, taking the short cut through the park. I could hear Mikey's laugh and looked around to see him squirming against Brendon as he tickled him. I felt anger rising inside me and stormed over.  
"Mikey!"  
He jumped up.  
"Crap Justin! We were meant to meet today weren't we? I'm so sorry can we meet next week?"  
I growled.  
"No, I have family over which is why I said this weekend."  
He looked down.  
"I'm sorry, Justin."  
"Whatever."  
"Hey, don't talk to Mikey like that!"  
"Shut up Brendon."  
Mikey flinched.  
"Justin don't talk to him like that."  
"You can shut up too, Mikey. Remember all the 'God it's so annoying when people ditch their best friends for their partners'. You've become what you detest. I'm going home. See you at school."  
I stormed by and hopped the park fence, heading back home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I slammed the door shut and sunk down into the sofa. The doorbell rang. I rolled my eyes and got up to open it.  
"Mikey just leave i- Pete?"  
He grinned and waved. I stood aside to let him in.  
"What are you doing here?"  
"Well.. I wanted to tie up some loose ends..."  
His lips pressed against mine and my eyes widened as he pushed me down onto my couch...


	9. A Better Touch

_Brendon’s P.O.V._  
  
“Oh, Mikey… don’t cry,” I murmured, wiping a few tears that started to drip down his face. “I’ll kick his ass, Mikes-”  
  
“No,” Mikey said, “Please, Brendon, just leave him alone.” He sighed, resting his head on my shoulder. “H-he’s my only friend.  _Please_ … just leave him out of this.”  
  
“Well, okay, Mikey.” I kissed his forehead, wrapping my arms tightly around him. “If that’s what you want…”  
  
“He’s… he’s right though,” Mikey said, sniffling. “I really am a hypocrite. I promised him that we’d go for coffee, and I forgot. Some friend I am…”  
  
“Mikey, you’re a wonderful friend and a beautiful boyfriend,” I assured him, bringing him in for another kiss. “We all make mistakes, love.” I took his hand and gently led him away from the Starbucks, determined to get his mind off of Justin.  
  
“Y’know,” I said, “My parents are gonna be gone for the week on a business trip. If you want, you could stay a few nights. We could act like a married couple.”  
  
Mikey smiled, an adorable blush appearing on his face. “I… I’d like that, Brendon.”  
  
We began the walk back to my place, discussing things that were currently going on in our personal lives. I avoided Justin as much as possible in order to keep Mikey from bursting into tears.  
  
We were about a block away from my home when it started raining. It wasn’t even a light sprinkle, either- it was raining buckets within seconds, which caused a cute little shriek to escape from Mikey. We began to sprint, laughing as the rain soaked us to the bone. We made it to my porch, gasping for breath between giggles.  
  
As soon as we caught our breath, I pulled Mikey in for a passionate kiss. My arms slipped around his waist, and his circled around my neck. He opened his mouth slightly, allowing my tongue to slip in. He let out a tiny hum of pleasure, content as I expressed my love to him in a manner that didn’t use words.  
  
“Really? Kissing in the rain? Do you two have any idea how cliché that is?”  
  
Frank had opened the door, an amused smirk on his face. Mikey’s face was bright red, which caused a chuckle to escape Frank’s lips. “Well, are you two coming inside or what? Y’know, people catch colds and shit doing stuff like this.”  
  
I took Mikey’s hand and led him inside. Frank handed a towel to each of us and said, “I need to go take care of something. I’ll be back soon.”  
  
“See you later, Frank,” I said. He grabbed an umbrella and headed out to his car, muttering something about the weather under his breath.  
  
As Mikey toweled off, he trembled from the cold. “Hey, Bren, could I use your shower?”  
  
“Yeah, sure, Mikes,” I replied, kissing his cheek. “It’s upstairs, third door in the right.”  
  
“Thank you,” Mikey said, walking up the stairs. I smiled lovingly at him and followed him upstairs, heading into my room. I looked through my closet for some dry clothes that would fit Mikey. I came up with an old Joy Division t-shirt and black sweatpants.  
  
The shower was now running, which brought something to my attention- Mikey was… well,  _naked_  in my home. Upon realizing this, my face went red.  _Mikey was in the shower across the hall, naked and beautiful and-_  
  
I sighed, needing a moment to calm down. I’ve seen him naked before, and I  _really_  liked what I saw. Maybe at the time I wouldn’t admit it, but I really did like Mikey’s body. A smile made its way to my face as I left the room and walked across the hall.  
  
Mikey was singing, so he didn’t hear me open the door. Quietly, I slipped off my clothes and joined him in the shower. I then decided to make my presence known by wrapping my arms around him from behind.  
  
A very comical shriek escaped Mikey. I chuckled and pressed a kiss to the side of his neck. “Hey, baby.”  
  
“B-B-B-Brendon, wh-why are y-y-you in he-here?” Mikey managed to squeak.  
  
“What, am I not allowed to see my boyfriend naked?” I asked, kissing his cheek.  
  
“W-we… I-I… uhm…”  
  
“You’re so cute when you’re flustered, Mikey,” I murmured, “Really, really cute.”  
  
I gently pushed him against the wall, kissing him deeply. A small moan escaped him as we kissed, sparking a small flame between the two of us.  
  
“Mikes,” I asked, “Have you ever had any sexual encounters with your ex?”  
  
“N-n-no,” Mikey gasped.  
  
“So you’re a virgin?”  
  
Mikey nodded, burying his face into the crook of my neck. He was embarrassed, I could see that, but I didn’t mind. I gave him a small, loving kiss and whispered, “Then I’ll be the one to make your first time memorable, if you’ll let me.”  
  
“Y-yes,” Mikey whispered. “Yes…”  
  
I pressed my crotch against his own semi-hard member, earning a small moan in response. I pressed a series of kisses onto his neck, relishing in the tiny moans and gasps that escaped him. My lips pressed against a particularly sensitive part of his neck, which caused a much louder moan to echo off the shower walls. Smirking to myself, I gently bit down in the same spot, causing a choked gasp to emerge from Mikey’s throat.  
  
“O-oh, B-Brendon,  _ri-right there_ ,” Mikey gasped. I gently began to suck on his pale skin, knowing that it’d leave behind a very visible hickey. I didn’t care, and apparently, neither did Mikey. I began to grind against him, my hardening cock needing the friction.  
  
I pulled Mikey in for a long, passionate kiss. The water poured down on us, but it didn’t extinguish the fire of passing that was growing between the two of us. A battle of dominance took place between the two of us, with Mikey surprising me with his passion. Finally, the need for air caused us to break the kiss.  
  
“You look beautiful, Mikey,” I murmured, my hands sliding lower on his thin body. My lips brushed against his ear. “So beautiful.” I rested my hands on his ass, earning a tiny squeak in response. “I’m… I’m happy that you and I were assigned to do that project together.”  
  
Mikey’s wanton moan echoed off the walls as I squeezed his ass, which sent a shiver up my spine. I knew that this was meant to be. I was meant to make Mikey moan in pleasure and hard with arousal, and so far, I was doing a damn good job at it.  
  
But there was something I wanted to hear more than moans.  
  
I lifted Mikey up slightly, hinting for him to wrap his legs around my waist. Since there was a small stream of water running down his back, I knew that lubrication wouldn’t be a problem.  
  
“Mikey… may I?”  
  
“Y-yes,” Mikey murmured, “Yes, p-please…”  
  
Slowly, I pushed a finger into Mikey, carefully holding him against the wall. As I stretched him, My lips pressed kisses along Mikey’s jawline, neck, shoulders, and chest. I stopped at one of Mikey’s nipples and gently scraped my tongue across it, earning a loud gasp. Smiling, I sucked on his sensitive skin, listening to his moans crescendo.  
  
“F-f-fuck, Br-Brendon!” Mikey’s breathing grew ragged, telling me to finish stretching him and get on to what I’ve wanted to do since I snuck in and joined him.  
  
“Ready, Mikey?” I asked. A moan of anticipation escaped Mikey, giving me my answer. I lined up with his hole and slowly began to push in, allowing him to get used to the sensation. Our position allowed me to see Mikey’s face perfectly, and allowed me to search for any signs of discomfort.  
  
“Breathe, Mikey,” I murmured, kissing the corner of his mouth, “Breathe and  _relax_.” Mikey’s ass was tight and warm, his moans were arousing, and his body was beautiful in every way. “Goddamn, you’re gorgeous.”  
  
“Brendon,” Mikey moaned, “ _Oh, Jesus Christ…_ ”  
  
“Feels good, doesn’t it?”  
  
A choked moan was Mikey’s only response. He buried his face into the crook of my neck, breathing hard. I felt his fingernails dig into my back as I slowly began to thrust in and out, searching for his prostate.  
  
The scream of pleasure that erupted from Mikey’s throat told me that I found it. “Holy fu-fucking shit, Brendon,  ** _faster!_** ”  
  
I smiled, more than happy to oblige. The pace of my thrusts grew faster and harder, which caused Mikey’s moans to increase in volume. Once of my hands grasped Mikey’s cock and began to jerk him off at the speed of my thrusts.  
  
Mikey came hard with a cry, his cum splattering across my chest, hand, and stomach. He looked at me through lust-clouded eyes, breathing hard. He pressed his lips to mine and expressed the emotions that he was simply unable to say at the moment. With a few final thrusts, I came inside him, moaning into his mouth.  
  
I pulled out of Mikey, helping him put his feet back on the ground. We cleaned up in a comfortable silence and toweled each other off, the two of us satisfied after what we had done.  
  
I led Mikey to my room, where he immediately slipped into bed. The clothes I had set out for him were now of no concern for either of us- right now, we were tired, but content. I joined Mikey in bed, wrapping my arms around his thin frame. We shared a lazy kiss before I asked, “Did you like that, Mikes?”  
  
Mikey hummed in response, burying his face into my chest. “Yeah… that was… wow. I, uh, I didn’t think that I’d lose my virginity in the shower, but… it was great. It felt good, Brendon.”  
  
“You sound tired, baby,” I murmured, kissing his hair. “Go to sleep, Mikey.”  
  
Mikey didn’t need to be told twice. His breathing began to level out, and soon, he was sound asleep, wrapped in my arms. I was prepared to join him when I heard a knock on my door. Reluctantly, I left the bed, and walked across the room. I poked my head out and saw Frank, who had his cellphone in his hand.  
  
“I just texted Gerard to let him know that Mikey is staying the night. You’re welcome, by the way,” Frank said.  
  
“Oh, right. Thanks, Frankie.”  
  
“Also… if you’re going to do it in the shower, please give me some warning next time. I’d rather not come home to hearing Mikey Way moaning your name. I mean, I get that you two are gonna have sex, but really,  _warn me._ ”  
  
“Sorry. I thought you were going to be gone long enough for me to finish up.”  
  
Frank sighed, smiling slightly. “Whatever, man. See you in the morning, Bren.”  
  
I closed the door and slipped back into bed, wrapping my arms around my sleeping boyfriend once again. I soon joined him in sleep, feeling happier than I had ever been in a long time.


	10. Megitsune

_~~~Mikey's POV~~~_  
  
I slowly flickered my eyes open and snuggled closer before sitting upright and staring at the empty space next to me.  
"B-Bren?"  
I listened for an answer but there was none. I got up and slipped some underwear on and peeked around the door. No one there what so ever.  
"Brendon!"  
Still no answer came. I slowly sat down, starting to cry. He'd used me. I was just a pawn. Hell, he was probably out with the football team, laughing at me. I curled up on the bed and screamed into the pillow. How could I just let him take my virginity like that? Justin had been right, Brendon was just trouble. I felt arms wrap around me and I looked over at a very concerned Brendon.  
"Baby, what's wrong?"  
"I-I thought you'd l-left..."  
He put his headphones on the bedside table and shook his head.  
"No.. I went to get something to eat. Oh my little Mikey Mouse."  
I blushed at the nickname, smiling as he wiped my tears.  
"I'm sorry... For being so pathetic..."  
"You? Pathetic?"  
"DON'T YOU FUCKING DARE TALK TO HIM LIKE THAT."  
Brendon and I both jumped as Gerard stormed in.  
"WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO TO MY LITTLE BROTHER?"  
"Gerard he didn't do anything! I over reacted."  
I jumped up and threw myself between them. I'd never seen Gerard this angry.  
"Gee calm down.. Why are you here anyway?"  
I sat in Brendon's lap as Gerard leant on the wall.  
"Frank and I got back together..."  
I nodded.  
"Well cool. Go buttfuck your boyfriend and leave me alone with mine."  
He rolled his eyes and went back downstairs. I curled up in Brendon's lap and kissed him softly, ending up on my back with my underwear on the floor.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I walked into school hanging on Brendon's arm on Monday morning. I went over to Justin, handing him a Starbuck's.  
"I'm sorry for Saturday, Justin."  
"It's fine..."  
I frowned. He was really off.  
"What's up?"  
"Can we talk in private?"  
I nodded and lead him out to the smoking area. I lit a cigarette and curled up in between the bins.  
"Pete raped me..."  
I stared at him.  
"Pete? Stoner guy, loves everyone, Pete Wentz?"  
"Yea.. The one in Social Studies."  
"Oh my God, Just..."  
I stood up and threw my arms around him. He broke down sobbing into my shoulder.  
"I-I just couldn't get him off of m-me... H-He was too s-strong."  
"It's OK.. It wasn't your fault. Have you told anybody?"  
"O-Only you."  
I nodded and held him tight against me. We were going to be massively late for Social Studies but I really didn't give a shit. I offered him my cigarette and he smoked it down to the butt in about four tokes. I sat on the bench with him and rolled myself another.  
"You're gonna be OK. We'll get through this together..."


	11. Dirty Business

_Brendon’s P.O.V._  
  
I didn’t really trust Justin’s intentions with Mikey when he asked to talk to him privately. I followed them to the smoking area, where Mikey lit a cigarette. I hid behind a trash bin and listened closely.  
  
I heard Justin take in a deep breath before saying, "Pete raped me..."  
  
My heart nearly stopped. Surely Justin was talking about a  _different_  Pete?  
  
"Pete?” Mikey asked, as stunned as I was, “Stoner guy, loves everyone, Pete Wentz?"  
  
"Yea… The one in Social Studies."  
  
"Oh my God, Just..."  
  
Mikey stood and pulled Justin into a tight embrace. Justin started crying into his shoulder, accepting the comfort that Mikey was currently providing.  
  
"I-I just couldn't get him off of m-me... H-He was too s-strong."  
  
"It's okay... It wasn't your fault. Have you told anybody?"  
  
"O-only you."  
  
Mikey held Justin tightly, letting him cry. He offered his cigarette to Justin, who took it. He smoked it down to the butt in no time, which showed exactly how stressed he was. Mikey lit another cigarette and sighed, "You're gonna be okay. We'll get through this together..."  
  
I never really liked Justin, but I could see that he was really hurting. If I could become friends with Mikey, then I was sure that I could at least learn to get along with his only other friend. Friend or not, though, nobody deserved to be raped.  
  
I snuck away from Mikey and Justin, leaving them alone. I had a stoner to find.  
  


* * *

  
  
Pete was exactly where I thought he’d be- in the bleachers, smoking his pot. When he saw me, he waved- however, the smile on his face disappeared when he saw the look on my face.  
  
“What the hell is wrong with you, Pete?” I demanded, taking the joint he was currently smoking out of his mouth and threw it down, stomping on it. “Why the hell would you rape some kid?”  
  
“What?”  
  
“You heard me, Wentz. You fucking raped Siegel, you dick!”  
  
“No I didn’t,” Pete insisted, “I bet your boyfriend told you that just to fuck with our friendship.”  
  
I glared at him. “First of all, Mikey didn’t tell me. I overheard it. Second, I doubt that Justin would lie about this, considering how serious rape is.”  
  
“Even if I did rape him,” Pete hissed, “You don’t have proof. For all you know, he’s just trying to steal Mikey back. Sympathy does a lot, y’know.”  
  
“Even if that were the plan,” I said, “You can’t fake those tears that I saw. You can’t fake the fear and helplessness that I saw on that kid’s face. I may not have proof, but I’m having a hard time believing you. For all I know, you may’ve been high when you did that. But I swear, if you come near either of them, if you touch them, I’ll kick your ass so hard, your fucking pot won’t help you escape the real world.”  
  
With that, I left Pete alone, seething in my anger.  
  


* * *

  
  
“Mikey… I know what happened to Justin.”  
  
Mikey’s eyes widened, fear evident in his eyes. “Brendon, how-”  
  
“Don’t be mad,” I said, “But I followed you two and listened in.”  
  
Mikey shook his head, biting his lip. “Bren, this really scares me and I don’t know what I’m supposed to do.” He gave me a helpless look. “Justin’s terrified of Pete!  _Pete!_  I mean, I had a feeling that Pete may have had a thing for Justin, but I didn’t think he’d  _rape_  him.”  
  
A shaky sigh escaped Mikey as he buried his face into my chest. “I… I feel so helpless, Bren.”  
  
I wrapped my arms around Mikey and kissed his hair. “Shh… I’ve got you, Mikes.” I sighed heavily, determined to help in any way I could. “Look, I know Pete’s not going to try it again.  _That’s obvious._  I’m pretty sure that he must’ve been on something stronger than weed when he did that, anyway. If Pete really does have a thing for Justin, he’ll actually try to fix this himself.”  
  
“If Pete has a thing for Justin, he’s ruined his chances,” Mikey sighed.  
  
“I’m not gonna deny that,” I said, “But remember that Pete really does have a way with words. I… I’m not trying to defend him, but really, he  _is_  a decent guy.”  
  
“Well… yeah. I know. I mean, he’s one of the reasons why I haven’t given up on humanity,” Mikey said, “Which is why I’m so shocked that he did this.”  
  
I was about to say something else when someone knocked on Mikey’s door. Mikey opened the door and moved aside, allowing Justin to enter.  
  
“Hey, guys,” Justin mumbled. Mikey immediately brought him in for an embrace, sighing.  
  
“You’re not okay, are you?” Mikey asked, running a hand through Justin’s hair. Justin shook his head before burying his face into the crook of Mikey’s neck. Mikey gave me a look of sadness, not sure how to go about this.  
  
“Do you want some coffee or something, Justin?” Mikey asked sweetly, offering a comforting smile to Justin. Justin returned the smile and nodded. Mikey pulled away from the embrace and left for the kitchen, leaving the two of us alone.  
  
Before an awkward silence began to form, I sighed. “Look, man… I know you and I don’t see eye to eye, but I really want to help you. I’m still shocked that Pete would do such a thing, so please forgive me for giving him the benefit of the doubt-”  
  
“I’d expect that from you,” Justin said, cutting me off, “And I get why. I just… I feel so…”  
  
“Violated?”  
  
“Exactly.”  
  
“Well, if it makes you feel any better, the football team has pictures of me making out with Mikey… they… they’re threatening to expose us to my parents.”  
  
“You haven’t come out to your parents?”  
  
“My dad’s Mormon and my mom’s as old-fashioned as my grandmother,” I deadpanned, “You wouldn’t have come out if your parents were like that.”  
  
“Point taken,” Justin sighed, “But don’t you think Mikey would-”  
  
“Mikey understands… I’m not exactly sure why, but he really does understand.”  
  
Justin gave me a confused look. “He… he hasn’t told you yet?”  
  
“Told me what, exactly?”  
  
“I… Brendon, it’s not my story to tell,” Justin sighed, “He’ll tell you when he’s good and ready.”  
  
I nodded, simply deciding that now wasn’t a good idea to pry. If it really was a big deal, I could trust Mikey to tell me.  
  
“I wanted to tell you that I’m sorry,” Justin said after a period of silence. “I’m really sorry for judging you so harshly. There are times when I feel like you’re taking my best friend away from me, but this whole ordeal showed me that he still cares, and that you’re willing to put aside our differences to make Mikey happy. I guess it’s time that I do the same thing. Truce?”  
  
Justin held out his hand, and I took it. “Truce.”  
  
Mikey came back in a few minutes later with some coffee for the three of us. He sat down beside me and across from Justin. “How are you holding up?”  
  
“I’m fine, for the most part,” Justin sighed, taking a sip of his coffee. “Like I was telling Brendon, I feel so violated. Mikes, I feel so dirty and vulnerable… I don’t know what to do.”  
  
Mikey gave Justin a look of sympathy. “Oh, Justin…” He stood and walked over to him, gently wrapping his arms around him. “Shh… you’ll be okay, Justin… you’ll be okay.” He kissed the top of Justin’s head, acting very much like an older brother. “It’s gonna take time, but you’re not alone in this.”  
  
Mikey gave me a look, silently pleading that I help support Justin. I nodded, knowing that it would mean quite a bit to the two of them. Mikey gave a small smile of thanks to me as he rubbed Justin’s back.  
  
“Justin,” Mikey murmured, “If you want, you can stay the night.”  
  
“Th-thank you, M-M-Mikey,” Justin sniffled, accepting his offer. Mikey nodded in response and gently began to lead him upstairs. I was about to follow them when Gerard stopped me.  
  
“You’re strong, right?” I nodded. “Good. Do you think you can help me with something in the garage?”  
  
“Yeah, sure.” I followed Gerard into the garage, only to discover that there was nothing that had to be done. Before I had a chance to ask any questions, Gerard said, “Give them a little bit of time alone. They haven’t had any chances to actually hang out together, and I think that, right now, they need few minutes together.”  
  
I nodded, and we began to pass the time by discussing music.  
  


* * *

  
  
It only felt like mere minutes, but in actuality, an hour passed us by. I now understood  _why_ Frank was so attracted to Gerard. He was definitely a keeper.  
  
I went upstairs to Mikey’s room, seeing a sight that, frankly, didn’t surprise me. Mikey and Justin were curled up together on Mikey’s bed, sleeping. Mikey was holding Justin to his chest protectively, offering the comfort that he was usually the one receiving. Strangely enough, though, I wasn’t jealous. In fact, I found it rather endearing.  
  
Instead of waking either of them, I carefully joined them in the bed, noting that the three of us fit in it very comfortably. I draped an arm over Mikey and Justin, pressing a kiss to Mikey’s lips as I got comfortable. I fell asleep, not really caring that there was one extra person with us this evening.


	12. Time Crawls On

_~~~Mikey's POV~~~_  
  
I woke up and hit my alarm off, settling back down. The teachers were on strike so we had the day off. I heard a grunt and looked over, watching Gerard go through my dresses. I smiled and cuddled closer to Brendon, pressing a small kiss to his lips as he woke up.  
"What the fuck?"  
I let my eyes flicker open to see Brendon standing in front of my closet. My eyes widened as everything fell into place. I looked down at a confused Justin staring up at me.  
"How long have you been cheating on me for?"  
"What? I haven't!"  
"YEA FUCKING RIGHT."  
"It was a mistake, Brendon calm the fuck down."  
"YOU JUST KISSED HIM!"  
"I thought he was you.."  
"Brendon he just woke up give him a break."  
"SHUT THE FUCK UP. PETE PROBABLY DIDN'T EVEN FUCKING RAPE YOU."  
I stared at him, my own anger rising.  
"Don't you fucking dare accuse him of lying about something like that."  
I got up, shoving my clothes on.  
"Get the fuck out of my house."  
Brendon blinked at me before grabbing his bag.  
"I'll leave you two to fuck then."  
He slammed my door and I sat down, bursting into tears. Justin wrapped his arms around me and a disheveled Gerard and Frank ran in.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I was laying back on the grass on Parker's Peace, a strip of green near our school, catching the food in my mouth that Gerard threw at me. I chewed slowly, freezing when Frank brought up Brendon's name.  
"He says you two haven't broken up unless you want to.."  
I shook my head.  
"Of course I don't.."  
Gerard ruffled my hair and grinned down at me before frowning.  
"Brendon's here..."


	13. I Don't Love You

_Brendon’s P.O.V._  
  
Mikey looked miserable as I approached him. A part of me was telling me to abort mission, to not do what I was about to do. It kept reminding me that this could be a trigger for Mikey, that maybe he might go back to cutting. He might… he might decide to end it all.  
  
Another part of me, though, said that, as long as I offer to still be a supportive friend, none of that would happen. It would be awkward, sure, but better than feeling guilty if I ever saw any scars on Mikey’s beautiful arms or got a call saying that he killed himself.  
  
I told Frank that I wouldn’t break up with Mikey if it wasn’t a mutual feeling. I still couldn’t get over what happened yesterday morning, but I didn’t want to hurt Mikey, either. I still loved him, but I was just… I was so  _angry_  at him, even if it was a mistake.  
  
That brought another thing to my attention- did Pete really rape Justin? From the way Pete reacted when I confronted him, I would’ve said yes… but if Mikey was really cheating… well…  
  
“Brendon,” Mikey murmured in greeting. It sounded cold and distant, as though he really didn’t want to see me. I longed for the warmth that usually flooded in his voice when he greeted me, but I needed to stay strong.  
  
“Mikey,” I sighed. I scratched the back of my head, noting that this was really awkward. “Mikey… I wanted to ask if you… if we should just not do this.”  
  
“I don’t want to break up,” Mikey sighed, “I don’t want to end what really was special to me. I really love you, and I loved the way you treated me. You made me feel like I was worth it, that someone could love me.”  
  
“Mikey-”  
  
“But,” Mikey said, cutting me off, “you hurt me. Accusing me of cheating, that really hurt. I’d never do something like that, Brendon.  _Never._  I made a mistake, and like you told me, _we all make mistakes._  You… you decide. I don’t even care anymore.”  
  
Ouch. That one cut like a knife.  
  
“Okay,” I said, “Mikes, I want to make this clear- I still care about you. I don’t want to throw the friendship we have away. I just… this isn’t working. I don’t know what to believe. Promise me one thing, though.”  
  
“What?”  
  
“Don’t hurt yourself,” I said, taking his hand, “Don’t hurt yourself because of me. If you really cheated on me, then this is for the best. If not… then I’m so sorry that I had to do this. It… it probably wouldn’t have lasted anyway.”  
  
I moved to wipe away the tears that had started to fall down Mikey’s face, but he smacked my hand away. “Please, just… just don’t touch me,” he whimpered, “I need time to just… get over this.”  
  
“I understand,” I said, “I really hope that we can still be friends, Mikey.”  
  
Mikey didn’t answer. That prompted Gerard to pull him into his arms and kiss his forehead. “C’mon, let’s get you home.” Gerard led Mikey away, rubbing circles onto his back and murmuring soothing words. I wanted nothing more than to chase Mikey down and take him back, but I couldn’t do it.  
  
“Are you gonna be okay, Bren?” Frank asked me, concern evident on his face. I nodded and sighed, “It’s probably better off this way.”  
  
Frank sighed and pulled me into a hug. “I find that unlikely, Brendon. Look, I’m here if you want to talk.”  
  
“Thanks, Frankie.”  
  
…  
  
I sat down next to Mikey in class the next day. His eyes were red and puffy, indicating that he had spent a great deal of the night crying. He didn’t bother to greet me, which broke my heart.  
  
“Mikey,” I said, gently taping his shoulder, “Are you okay?”  
  
Mikey shook his head.  
  
“Uh… is… um… How’s Justin holding up?”  
  
“He’s okay,” Mikey said softly.  
  
I gave Mikey a concerned look. “Mikey, maybe you need to invest some time in yourself. I understand that Justin needs your help, but he doesn’t expect you to be there  _all the time_.” I draped an arm over his shoulder and sighed. “You’re my friend, Mikey. I really care about you, even if we’re not going out anymore. I may not love you like I did, but I do still love you.”  
  
“I know you’re trying, Brendon,” Mikey sighed, “But… I just really need you to stop. When I’m ready to go back to before that first kiss, I’ll let you know, but right now, I just want to be left alone. I just… I just want you to give me some space. Thank you for showing such concern, but I don’t need it from you right now.”  
  
“Okay, Mikey,” I said softly, feeling absolutely crushed, “I’ll… I’ll leave you alone for a while.”  
  
…  
  
“Heard about you and Mikey. Tough break, man.”  
  
“You’re the last person I want to see, Wentz,” I spat. Pete was either too high or too brave to notice the fact that I was still pissed at him and sat down beside me.  
  
“Look, man, I know you’re mad at me, and I admit, it was a bit of a dick move-”  
  
“ _You actually raped him?”_  
  
“-but I really want to make things right.” Pete had completely ignored my question and handed me an envelope. I opened it and found three tickets. “See, my new band got a gig at Andy’s uncle’s restaurant. One’s for you, one’s for your ex, and one’s for Justin. I know that he’ll probably not want to go, but please make it clear to him that I, uh, want to talk.”  
  
“Why would I go?”  
  
“Well, it’s free for you, there’s free food, and we sound pretty awesome. C’mon, give us a try!”  
  
“…I can’t promise that Mikey and Justin will be there,” I said, “But… ah, what the hell, I’ll come.”  
  
“Thanks, Bren. You’re gonna love it!”  
  
…  
  
Since Mikey didn’t show up at school the next day, I came by his place afterwards to give him (and probably Justin, since he was most likely there, too) his ticket. Gerard answered the door, looking relatively tired.  
  
“Oh… hey, Brendon.”  
  
“Is Mikey here?”  
  
Gerard nodded, “Yeah. He’s sick, though, so I can’t promise that he’s awake.”  
  
“Thanks, Gee.” I walked up the stairs and into Mikey’s room, where I found Justin taking care of him. Mikey was sleeping soundly, clutching the Mickey Mouse plushie that I bought him a while back. I felt a dull ache in my heart upon seeing the sight, which made me miss Mikey more. Justin’s hand was gently running through Mikey’s messy locks, offering a comforting touch to my ex.  
  
“Um… hi, Brendon,” Justin said. It suddenly felt very awkward in the room.  
  
“How are you, Justin?” I asked, a part of me genuinely concerned.  
  
Justin simply shrugged and said, “I’m a lot better… Mikey, he really helped me through this.”  
  
“I’m glad,” I said. I licked my lips and sighed. “Look, Justin… yesterday, Pete talked to me about what he did. By the way, I’m sorry for accusing you of lying about that. Anyway, he told me that he wanted to talk with you.” I handed Justin the two tickets that I had brought with me. “You’ll be in a public place, should you and Mikey decide to go. I’ll be there, so if he tries anything, I should be around to take care of it.”  
  
Justin accepted the tickets with a small sigh. “Brendon, I don’t know if I-”  
  
“I’m not saying that you have to go,” I said, cutting him off, “I’m not even saying that you have to keep the tickets. Frankly, Pete could go fuck himself, but I can understand why he wants to make things right.”  
  
“…I’ll consider it,” Justin said as he continued to run a hand thorough Mikey’s hair.  
  
I glanced back down at Mikey, who snuggled closer to Justin. He still looked every bit as adorable as I thought when he slept, which really made me miss him. I sighed and left him in Justin’s care, leaving with tears forming in my eyes.


	14. Blurred Lines

_~~~Mikey's POV~~~_  
  
I looked up at Justin as I woke up. I still felt like crap. Brendon had just cast me out of his life like I was nothing. Justin nudged me.  
"Pete invited us to his gig on Friday night.. I can't go I have jazz practice. Mikey don't go... Pete's trouble..."  
"B- He showed me their demo CD. Ay I might as well go."  
Justin nodded.  
"Mind if I take a shower?"  
I shook my head and stared at the tickets.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I headed into the club at about 6.30 and headed over to Pete. I nodded at Andy, he was in Gerard's art class. Pete introduced me to Patrick and Joe. I felt out of my depth and wished Justin was here. Pete ordered me a drink and then pulled out a tablet. I frowned.  
"It's LSD. You'll feel better.. Trust me."  
I nodded and watched him drop it into my drink. I sipped it and frowned when I saw Brendon. What the fuck was he doing here? Pete when running over to say hi. After a few minutes, the guys went to the stage. Patrick mumbled to me as he went by.  
"We're so sorry..."  
I frowned and shook my head, focusing on Pete's bass as the lights dimmed.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
"I'm watching you two from the closet, wishing to be the friction in your jeans."  
The line made me freeze. I remembered something Pete had said to me a while ago.  
'Shame you're taken.'  
This didn't feel right. I put my drink down and stumbled as I got up. Everything started spinning. I gripped the bar with one hand and my head with the other. Someone grabbed me and I looked up at Brendon, barely able to put a sentence together.  
"Home.. Please..."  
I got yanked into Pete's arms.  
"I'll take you home, Mikes."  
I just lay against him, too disorientated to argue. He gently lay me in his back seat and started driving.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I saw the Costello Woods outside the window and frowned.  
"I live... other side... town."  
"I know."  
"Why-"  
"Just shut the fuck up.  
I flinched at his tone and fell silent. After about half-an-hour, we stopped and Pete got out. The door opened and he dragged me out by my hair. I struggled weakly as everything clicked. The drugs, the song, Patrick apologizing. I started crying.  
"Please.. Don't want... To..."  
He smacked me.  
"Shut up, slut."  
I lay there, helpless, as he stripped me, bending my legs back. I did the only thing I could do. Brace myself for the pain. I felt him slam into me and screamed out. He slapped my again and started slamming hard into me. I cried softly; the pain was red hot. I closed my eyes and waited for it to end.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I felt Pete cum and I squirmed weakly. He pulled his pants up and helped me dress. He shoved me into the back of his car and started driving. I lay there staring at the ceiling.  
"If you tell anyone, you'll regret being born.  
Little did he know, I already did.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
The car slowed and Pete got out, throwing me outside a hospital.  
"See you on Monday, slut."  
I staggered towards the hospital as he drove away, before freezing. Gerard was out of state with Frank and Mama was still in New York on a business trip. I turned around and hobbled home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I logged onto Facebook to see I'd been added into a group chat.  
'Damn the slut.'  
'Wish I could fuck his brains out like that.'  
I slowly scrolled up and froze to see a picture of Pete raping me. I let out a sob and went to type something before spotting four words which broke my heart more.  
'Seen by Brendon Urie.'  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I stared at my fat in the mirror, my self-loathing increasing when I looked at my face. I grabbed a pair of scissors off my desk and slashed at the side of my face, screaming. Why me? Why couldn't I be popular? Why couldn't I keep a boyfriend? Why couldn't I just die? I let my hand dropped and stared at myself in the mirror. I'd basically shaved half my hair off. I got Gerard's electric razor and sheared the rest off. The cuts would be visible but I didn't care. I ran my fingers through my, now, short hair. I went back to Gerard's room and went into the en suite. I washed myself until it hurt to touch my skin before grabbing the hair dye I'd made up. I rubbed it into my hair, hissing when it got into my cuts. I sat on the edge, leaning back so my head didn't get wet. I closed my eyes. I should have listened to Justin. I should have never gone to that gig. Tears pricked up and I clawed at my legs until they bled.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I lay on my bed, staring at my posters, running a hand through my now black hair. I sat up when my mobile rang. I sat at my desk and hit speakerphone.  
"Mikey?"  
I froze hearing Brendon's voice before shaking my head.  
"What?"  
"I just wanted to make sure you were OK..."  
"I'm fine."  
I spotted a box on my shelf and thought back to Alicia, my best friend back in Newark. I pulled it down and opened it, staring at the fake I.D. inside.  
"I was hoping I could come o-"  
"I'm going out. Bye."  
I hung up, shoved it into my jeans pocket, grabbed the I.D. and Gerard's wallet off the kitchen table as I left.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I stared at the spider now tattooed on my lower fore arm and at the piercings through my right helix, the taper in my ear and my nose ring. I handed the cashier Gerard's card and tapped in the code. I took it back and started walking home. It was about 3am. Men leered at me and I pulled my jacket closer around me. I rushed back home trying not to cry.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I woke up to my alarm on Monday. I flickered my eyes open and got up. I grabbed my black skinny jeans and slashed the knees open before pulling them on. I found a particularly gruesome Marilyn Manson tee, sliding it on. I stared at my tattoo before lacing up my knee-high converse. I delicately painted my eyelids with black eye shadow before applying mascara and eyeliner. I darkened my lips with Mama's dark red lipstick and went downstairs. I slid some of out old dog chains through my belt loops and grabbed my Joy Division school bag, setting off. I took the longer, more secluded route, plugged into Motionless in White. I ran into school realizing I was late. I stood outside Social Studies, flattening my hair and putting my music away. I took a breath and walked straight in, making eye contact with no one and sinking into my usual seat next to Brendon.  
"Sorry I'm late.. Family issues..."


	15. The Beautiful People

_Brendon’s P.O.V._  
  
“M… Mikey?”  
  
Surely the kid that was sitting next to me right now wasn’t the Mikey Way I recently dumped. He looked like him, that was true, but he just looked so…  _different_. He ditched his glasses, got a bunch of piercings, and even had a freakin’ tattoo on his wrist. There were cuts on his face, cuts that I believed were self-inflicted.  
 _  
What happened to him?_  
  
“Mikey,” I asked, “Is that you?”  
  
Mikey nodded. Pete waved at him from across the room, to which he responded with a glare. Deep down, I got a horrible feeling, but decided it would be best to not bring it up.  
  
“Why did you- what- I mean, Mikey, you-”  
  
“I wanted a change,” Mikey simply said. “I… I  _needed_  a change.”  
  
“Mikey, can we go talk in private?” I asked, “After class?”  
  
Mikey shrugged, “Yeah, sure.”  
  


* * *

  
  
Mikey followed me out to the most secluded area of the school, where I sat on one of the benches. Mikey sat down beside me, keeping his head down.  
  
“What did he do to you?” I asked, taking his hand.  
  
I heard a tiny gasp escape Mikey. He refused to answer the first time, so I gently pulled him into my arms. “Mikey, what did Pete do?”  
  
“Brendon…”  
  
“Mikey, I saw that status. I saw that picture,” I said, “Please… just be honest. Mikey, when Pete had sex with you… was that consensual?”  
  
There was a long pause before Mikey shook his head. I held Mikey tightly as he began to cry. “I should’ve just taken you home myself, Mikey… I should’ve protected you.” I stood, gently leading Mikey out of the school.  
  


* * *

  
  
Mikey fell asleep on my bed, exhausted from crying over what had been done to him. I gently tugged off some of the bulkier articles of clothing that he wore in order to ensure that he’d be comfortable- his shoes, the chains, whatever was most likely keeping him from sleeping soundly. I then proceeded to check his wrists for any signs of self-harm. Fortunately, his wrists were fine… but I felt like that wasn’t the end to it. I then checked his lower legs and, sure enough, there were new cuts. It didn’t look like a razor or a knife did it, but it still hurt to see such a sight.  
  
I sighed and wrapped the blankets around Mikey’s sleeping form before picking up my phone. I punched in Justin’s number and waited for him to pick up.  
 _  
“Brendon? What’s up?”_  
  
“Look, I had to get Mikey out of school,” I said, “As soon as you can, come over to my place. We really need to talk about this.”  
 _  
“I don’t have an eighth period,”_  Justin said,  _“I’ll say that I’m sick or something and come down then.”_  
  
“Okay. I’ll see you then.”  
  
Justin hung up, which prompted me to set my phone down and turn my attention back to Mikey. I ran my hand through his short black locks, smiling when a sigh of content escaped him. He shifted closer to me, searching for comfort. I sighed, draping my arm over Mikey. “You’ll be okay, Mikey. You’re not alone in this.”  
  
I really wanted to kiss him… but I didn’t. I needed me to be a friend, not someone to make out with. I began to sing  _Bullet with Butterfly Wings_  as I rubbed soothing circles onto his back, letting him cling to my shirt like a child.  
  


* * *

  
  
Justin sat down on my bed, glancing down at Mikey. “I… I have a feeling that I know what you’re about to tell me,” Justin said, taking Mikey’s hand.  
  
“You probably do,” I replied, “But… I feel like you need to know about this. On the day of the concert, Mikey had been drugged. I don’t know what Pete gave him, but I was going to take him home. Pete insisted on doing it himself, and I was going to argue, but Andy assured me that nothing would happen.” I pulled out my phone and found the picture of Mikey that Pete had taken, showing it to Justin. “A few hours later, this was sent to me.”  
  
Justin gasped, covering his mouth with his hand. “Oh my god… I told him to stay away from Pete-”  
  
“That wouldn’t have been possible. Pete wouldn’t have taken no for an answer.” I sighed and put my phone away. “Mikey told me that it wasn’t consensual, and from what I can tell on that picture, I’d say that’s true.” I ran my hand through Mikey’s hair. “You know exactly what he’s going through, and he’s still having a hard time trusting me. Please, just help him. I want him to be the Mikey Way I fell in love with again. I know that’s not going to happen, but do whatever you have to do to make him smile.”  
  
Justin nodded. “Brendon, you didn’t have to ask me to do that. Mikey’s my best friend… I would’ve done that even without your request. It’s sweet that you care, though.” Justin gave me a small smile. “I think the way to go is to just spend some time together- no stress, just something pointless, like a horror movie marathon or cat videos. Make him forget, y’know?” Justin squeezed Mikey’s hand, the look of concern he had returning to his features.  
  
“Justin,” I asked, “Is Pete still at school?”  
  
“Yes. Why?”  
  
“Let’s just say that I made him a promise that I intend on keeping.”


	16. Gently Fill My Veins

_~~~Justin’s POV~~~_  
  
I went back to school with Brendon, leaving a sleeping Mikey to lie. Brendon was fuming.  
“Hey.. Are you OK?”  
“No.. I’m really not and I’m going to beat the shit out of him.”  
I flinched at his tone.  
“You don’t need to do this… Honestly… We’re fine.”  
“He needs to stop this now.”  
I looked at the fury in his eyes and realised he really did still care about Mikey, and, maybe, even myself. I shook my head and ran after him as he started sprinting.  
“WENTZ!”  
Pete turned.  
“Oh hey Brendon how ar-”  
Brendon’s fist connected with his mouth, breaking him off mid-sentence. Pete growled and handed Andy his bag, wiping off the small trickle of blood sliding down his chin. His fist collided with Brendon’s stomach and Pete’s gang and I both jumped back. None of us dared to try and break it up.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Eventually, Pete collapsed to the ground, barely able to breathe.  
“TOUCH EITHER OF THEM AGAIN AND I WILL FUCKING END YOU.”  
I grabbed Brendon as he swayed, supporting him against my body as I led him back home.  
“You didn’t have to do that.”  
“If he’s done it to you two, how many more has he done it to?”  
I shrugged and helped him sit down on a bench when he motioned for it. I dabbed at his split lip with my sleeve. He winced and I frowned.  
“Sorry…”  
“It’s fine.”  
After a few minutes, I helped him back up.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
We got back to Brendon’s and I could hear Mikey being sick. I left him be. Who knew what diseases Pete had given him. I got a cloth and started cleaning up Brendon’s face. He winced and let me. I finished and stayed kneeling in front of him. We stared at each other and I did it. I leant in at the same time he did, our lips meeting. Brendon cupped the back of my neck and smiled against my lips.  
“W-What…”  
I pulled back and looked at Mikey. There were tears spilling down his face. I looked at his eyes and frowned. They were all spacy. I saw a small amount of blood in the crook of his arm and frowned.  
“Mikey.. Why do you look high..?”


	17. Help Me Forget

_Gerard’s P.O.V._  
  
Frank and I were lying on his couch, making out. Tiny moans escaped Frank as I slipped my tongue in, making it very clear that I wanted this to go a little farther. He had just started to grind against my leg when, to my disdain, my phone rang.  
  
“Don’t answer it,” Frank moaned.  
  
“Have to, Frank,” I said, grabbing my phone, “After the way Mikey’s been acting, I feel like I should be there for him.” I ignored the little huff that escaped Frank and answered my phone. “Hello?”  
 _  
“G-Gee?”_  
  
“Mikey?” Immediately, sex was the last thing on my mind. “Mikey, what’s wrong?”  
 _  
“I d-don’t want to talk about that,”_  Mikey whimpered,  _“Are you still going to New York to see mom?”_  
  
“Yeah. Why?”  
 _  
“Can I go w-with you? Please?”_  
  
“Of course, Mikey,” I said, worry evident in my voice. “But… are you sure? You two never really got along, and after what happened after you came out-”  
 _  
“I don’t care, Gee. I just… I need to get out of Belleville for a little while.”_  
  
“Okay, Mikes,” I said, “I’ll see you when I get home, kiddo.”  
 _  
“Bye, Gee. I love you.”_  
  
“Love you, too, baby brother.”  
  
I hung up the phone and set it aside, sighing. Frank immediately wrapped his arms around me and kissed my cheek. “What’s up with Mikes?”  
  
“I don’t know, Frank,” I sighed, “He’s just been acting… weird. He changed his appearance completely after that concert he went to and refused to talk about it, so I think that may have something to do with it. I’ll have to talk with Brendon or Justin about it. I’m… I really worried about him, Frank. He might be self-harming again, or planning to kill himself, or doing something else that really isn’t helping him at all. I’m scared that he’ll end up in the hospital again and not wake up.” I buried my face into Frank’s shoulder and sniffled. “I don’t want to lose him. He’s my baby brother and I love him to pieces… I’m afraid that Mikey just won’t see it and will succeed in ending it.”  
  
Frank sighed and gave me another kiss. “Go to him, Gee. It’s obvious that he really needs you now.” I smiled lovingly at Frank. He really was a sweet, understanding boyfriend.  
  
“Thank you, Frank,” I said, kissing his lips. “I’ll see you later, babe.”  
  
…  
  
When I came home, I found Mikey on the couch, half asleep. I approached him with a loving smile.  
  
“Hey, sleepyhead,” I murmured, sitting down beside him. Mikey curled up closer to me, laying his head down on my leg. I chuckled and ran a hand through his hair before kissing his forehead.  
  
“You okay, Mikey? You seem really off.” Mikey shrugged and sighed.  
  
“Look, kiddo,” I sighed, “I’ll humor you for now. But after we get back from visiting mom, I will be prying. Mikey, if you don’t tell me what happened, I’ll have Justin or Brendon tell me instead. I’ll give you a fair chance, of course, but you have to understand that I really care for you and that I want to help you in any way I can.”  
  
Mikey yawned, which prompted me to sigh again. “C’mon, let’s get you to bed.”  
  
“Gee… can I stay with you?” Mikey asked. It was a question I hadn’t heard since he was really little. I nodded and lifted him up into my arms, noting that he felt extremely light. I carried Mikey up into my room, where I laid him down on the bed. I tucked him in and kissed his forehead, promising to return in a few minutes.  
  
I found my sketchbook and quickly scribbled down a note-  _take Mikey to the doctor._  I set it back down before joining Mikey in bed, pulling him close. He rested his head against my chest and was soon sleeping soundly, clutching my shirt like a child would a teddy bear. I kissed Mikey’s hair and let sleep take me, feeling as though something big was about to happen.  
  
…  
  
I gently shook Mikey awake, even though he looked like he could use the rest. “C’mon, kiddo, get up. We need to pack up.”  
  
Mikey groaned, but got up anyway. He walked out of my room and headed into his. I put on a mixed playlist and began to sing along to David Bowie as I packed up my clothes.  
  
Since our mother wasn’t the most accepting person, I couldn’t take any of my skirts or dresses or lingerie. She barely accepted the fact that both of her sons weren’t straight, so I wasn’t going to make matters worse by bringing my little black dress.  
  
Mom wasn’t as hard on me about my sexuality as she was on Mikey. Since I was bi, she assumed that this was simply a phase (it’s not) and that I’d grow out of it (I won’t). Mikey, though, was completely gay. She didn’t approve, obviously, but she was still more accepting of it than our father was.  
  
My luggage was soon packed and ready to go. I left my room and went to check in on Mikey, who appeared to be nearly finished. I could hear Queen in the background as he packed. Mikey swayed slightly as he moved back and forth between the closet and his bed.  
  
“Mikes, are you sick or something?” I asked, walking over to him. I felt his forehead, searching for any sigh of fever.  
  
“No, I’m fine, Gerard,” Mikey said, “Just a little tired. I can sleep on my way over to mom’s place.”  
  
I gave Mikey a concerned look and kissed his forehead. “Okay, Mikes. You almost done here?” Mikey nodded, so I walked towards the door. “I’ll have breakfast ready before you come downstairs.”  
  
“Thanks, Gee.”  
  
It wasn’t long until I had breakfast ready and called Mikey down. I made his favorite, since he seemed sad the morning before- chocolate chip pancakes, bacon, and black coffee. He barely touched his food, which concerned me. Once again, I asked if he was sick- he brushed it off and said he was fine, and he simply wasn’t hungry. After breakfast, I put our luggage in my car and started to drive to the airport, with Mikey half asleep in the passenger’s seat.


	18. Save Me

_~~~Mikey's POV~~~_  
  
I woke up to Gee nudging me.  
"Maybe you'll be better in the back."  
I glanced around to see Brendon saying goodbye to Frank. I scrambled into the backseat and curled up in my hoodie, Gerard having to bribe me into my seatbelt. I closed my barely open eyes and listened to their conversation when they thought I was asleep.  
"Gee.. Brendon and Justin.. They swore that Mikey was high the day he called you."  
"He doesn't do drugs."  
"They were sure of it Gee.."  
"Shut up. My little brother isn't a junkie."  
Frank sighed.  
"They also said they hadn't seen him eat in about two weeks.. Since they broke up."  
I heard Gerard swallow hard and then sleep reclaimed me.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I woke up in unfamiliar sheets and peeked an eye open. The first thing I saw were the bright red digits of a 24 hour clock. 3:30am. I groaned and sat up. I could hear Mama's voice from next door and got up, pressing through the dark hallways to her room. I knocked and peeked my head around it.  
"M-Mommy?"  
I hesitated as she fell silent. She was normally quite.. Hell, maternal in the early hours of the morning.  
"What do you want, Michael?"  
"Mommy c-can I get in bed with you..?"  
"Oh Mikey baby not right now."  
I heard a groan and the light flicked on. I stared at the guy that had turned it on. He wasn't Papa. I swallowed as he came over to me.  
"Come on kid, back to bed."  
I frowned as he hurried me down to my room. I knew I was small for my age but come the fuck on.  
"Now, then,  _Michael_."  
I noted the sarcasm in his voice as he said my name. The back of his hand collide with the side of my face and I fell to my floor. His foot collided with my stomach and I coughed hard.  
"Stay away from  _Mommy's_  room whilst her and I do  _business_."  
He smirked and slammed my door shut as he left. I lay on the floor and cried myself to sleep.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I went downstairs for breakfast, taking a slice of toast from the stack on the table and curling up on the window sill.  
"Michael sit at the table."  
I just looked at her. Gerard nodded at me as he walked past before staring at the bruise on my face.  
"Fell over trying to piss in the dark."  
He chuckled and ruffled my hair before sitting next to Frank, half cuddling up to him. I stared out the window at the busy streets.  
"Mama... Where's the nearest music shop?"  
"Over on fifth and seventh. Half an hour to drive. Hour and a half to walk."  
"Cool. I'm going out."  
I grabbed my jacket and ran out the door, throwing the toast in the bin outside as I did so.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I slid around the back of the music store, peering into the alley. There had to be one here. There was always one outside a music store. I spotted him and walked over.  
"Aren't you a little young?"  
"I'm 17. You got any or what?"  
"What you want?"  
"Heroin."  
He pulled a bag out and I slipped him the money, sliding the bag into my pocket. I went into the music store and looked through some albums. I had to go back with some. I shoved some Joy Division albums on the counter and handed them Gee's card. Huh, I still had it. I grabbed the bag and started the trek home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I looked at the map, completely lost. I groaned softly and tried to navigate down the street through the mass of people. I got pushed onto the road and screamed seeing a car coming straight for me. To my amazement, it braked and stopped before hitting me. The guy that was with Mama last night got out.  
"There you are. We've been looking everywhere for you. Get in."  
I scrambled up and dived into the car, making sure the bag was still in my pocket.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I put on the Joy Division Greatest Hits on and settled down on my bed. I strained my ears but there was no one coming. I pulled my needle out of my bag and loaded it up, before pressing the needle into my arm. I stared at the plunger, just sitting there. My door opened and I started.  
"Michael can you tur- WHAT THE HELL IS THAT?"  
I fell back on my bed and screamed as she yanked it out of my arm. She grabbed me by the scruff of the neck and dragged me downstairs. I struggled against her.  
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE WITH THAT FILTH!"  
"HEY HEY"  
I fell into Frank's arms as she threw me out the door, sobbing. Gerard went running in.  
"I'M NOT HAVING SOME JUNKIE IN MY HOUSE."  
I broke free from Frank and sprinted off.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
No one was looking for me. I'd been gone for three hours according to my phone and I was curled up in the same place. No one cared. That little old voice pricked up again.  
'I told you all that time ago that no one cared and they just proved me right.'  
I felt the blade I kept around my neck on a chain. I whimpered and got up to find a more secluded place when I heard someone yell my name. I spun round and got engulfed by Gerard's arms.  
"B-Bubba..."  
I broke down and clutched at his shirt as he held me tight.  
"I've got you Mikey and I swear I'm not going anywhere."  
He just held me as I broke down in the middle of public until I blacked out from exhaustion.


	19. Medicate

_Gerard’s P.O.V._  
  
I stroked Mikey’s hair as he finally fell asleep, trembling lightly in my arms. The sun was setting and it was starting to get cold. I shrugged off my jacket and draped it over Mikey’s sleeping form before pulling out my phone. I texted Frank our whereabouts and went back to consoling my baby brother.  
  
In all honesty, I was just as angry as mom was about this whole incident. However, I was more upset than angry- I was upset that I wasn’t enough to help my brother. I was upset that he turned to drugs instead of talking to me about his problems. I sighed and lifted Mikey up a bit, letting his head rest on my shoulder. Mikey unconsciously snuggled closer to me, to which I smiled at.  
  
“I love you, Mikes,” I murmured, “I’ll help you through this. I’ll help you get clean, baby brother.” I kissed his hair and just held him tightly, letting him know that I’d keep him safe and sound.  
  
“You found him!” Frank said, sounding relieved. I nodded, running a hand through Mikey’s hair.  
  
“Brendon was right,” I sighed, “Mikey… Mikey’s a junkie.”  
  
“He won’t be for long, Gee. We’ll get him clean.”  
  
“I know we will, Frankie. But first, I need to get him home.”  
  
Frank nodded, “I’ll call Brendon and let him know we’re coming back early.” He grabbed his phone and punched in Brendon’s number. As he called Brendon, I tried to devise a plan as to how we were going to get home early. I decided that we would just exchange our tickets for the next available flight to Belleville and go from there.  
  
“Brendon said that as soon as he can, he wants to talk with Mikey,” Frank said, “He didn’t say why, but he insinuated that it wasn’t about the heroin.”  
  
I nodded at Frank and sighed. “I have enough money to stay at a hotel for the night, if we can’t get a flight. I’m going to call the airport and see about exchanging our tickets. Can you take Mikey for a moment?”  
  
“Sure, Gee,” Frank said. I passed Mikey off to Frank before calling the airport.  
  


* * *

  
  
Luckily, we were able to exchange the tickets for a flight that was to take off in two hours. As soon as we arrived, I went to exchange the tickets while Frank and Mikey went to Starbucks. When I came back with the tickets, I found them laughing. I smiled, happy to see that Mikey was happy.  
  
“-and his grandmother nearly had a heart attack,” Frank said, “And my grandma just says, ‘Well, that boy’s willie isn’t as big as he says, now, is it?’”  
  
“That sounds like something my grandma would say,” Mikey said, giggling. I draped my arm over Mikey’s shoulder, nearly making him jump out of his skin.  
  
“Gerard! Jesus, don’t scare me like that,” Mikey breathed.  
  
“Sorry, Mikes,” I said, accepting the coffee Frank handed to me. I handed them each their tickets. “The flight leaves in about an hour and a half, so if you two want to go for dinner, we have time.”  
  
“Oh, I’m not hungry,” Mikey said, avoiding eye contact with me.  
  
“Mikey,” I said, “You haven’t eaten a single thing all day. You’re really worrying me, kid. Please… just eat slice of pizza or a sandwich or something.  _Please_. For me?”  
  
Mikey sighed and nodded. “Okay, Gerard. For you.”  
  
I smiled and took Mikey’s hand. “C’mon, let’s go. There’s a pizza parlor across the food court.”  
  


* * *

  
  
Mikey’s head rested on my shoulder as he drifted off into a deep sleep. The plane was on its way to Belleville, now, and we’d be landing soon. I kissed Mikey’s hair before turning my attention to Frank.  
  
“I still can’t believe this, Frank,” I sighed, “I’m so scared… I’m scared that he’ll overdose.”  
  
“He’s not,” Frank said, “Not after you take away his drugs and help him get clean, anyway.”  
  
“I really hope I can help him… I need him to be okay. Mikey’s the only member of my family other than my grandmother that accepts me. If he were to end it all, I don’t know what I’d do.”  
  
“Gerard, look at me.” I looked Frank in the eye, prompting him to continue. “He’ll be okay as long as he knows that you’re not going to give up on him. You give him hope and make him happy. Keep that up. Hold him when you think he needs it, tell him that you love him when you think he needs to hear it, and never judge him for the mistakes he makes.” Frank took my hand and sighed. “If this means that you have to spend less time with me, then that’s fine. Mikey needs you more than I do right now. Mikey needs his big brother to be right there by his side.”  
  
I smiled and kissed Frank. “What would I do without you?”  
  
“That’s a good question, Gerard.”  
  


* * *

  
  
When we finally got home, it was around eleven in the evening. We crashed at Frank’s house, since Mikey and I were too tired to drive home.  
  
Brendon agreed to wait until morning to talk with Mikey, noting that he looked extremely tired. Meanwhile, I stayed in the guest room with Mikey, holding him through the night. Normally, I would’ve been with Frank, but because of Mikey’s addiction, I wasn’t willing to leave him alone.  
  
Even in sleep, Mikey trembled. I couldn’t tell if he was just cold or if the withdrawal was kicking in already, so I just held him close and hoped he was okay. I took a closer look at Mikey, checking for any signs of discomfort.  
  
In spite of the shivering, Mikey’s expression was peaceful. However, his face looked bonier than it had weeks back. I felt his upper torso and discovered that I could feel his ribs, as well.  
Mikey was  _starving_  himself. He was getting high and not eating, and it broke my heart. A few tears welled in my eyes as I pulled him closer to me. “I’m so sorry, Mikey. I’m so, so sorry.”


	20. Where Is Your Boy, Tonight?

_~~~Justin's POV~~~_  
  
I lay on Brendon's chest, eyes closed. Not like I'd be able to see if they were open. We'd lost my glasses some hours ago on the floor. Brendon's hand slid up and down my back.  
"Mikey's been doing drugs.. We were right."  
I closed my eyes.  
"Can we not discuss Mikey right now.. After what just happened?"  
Brendon nodded and I curled up against him. I felt like an asshole, I mean, Brendon was my best friend's ex. It was a dick move but I did really like Brendon. Mikey would understand... Wouldn't he? I didn't know. All I knew right now was that Mikey was asleep in his brother's arms and I'd just let his ex fuck me. I looked up at Brendon to find him asleep. I slowly disentangled myself from his arms and got half-dressed, peeking into the spare room. Gerard and Mikey were curled up together and I smiled.  
"Can I help you Justin?"  
I jumped out my skin as Gerard spoke.  
"Yea... I mean no. I was just checking on Mikey."  
"He's fine... Sleeping."  
I nodded.  
"How well does Mikey take... Bad news?"  
"Not quite well at the moment."  
I swallowed, my throat dry all of a sudden. Gerard looked at me.  
"Justin... Please tell me that Frank is cheating on me with my little brother's best friend..."  
I slowly shook my head.  
"No..."  
"So you're Mikey's best friend and you're fucking his ex? Some fucking friend you are."  
I whimpered and walked out, closing the door. I stumbled back into Brendon's room, curling up on the bed. I cried silently into my hands, trying not to shake the bed.  
"Justin, baby?"  
I curled up against Brendon, crying into his chest. Brendon's hand gently slid up and down my back.  
"What's wrong?"  
"Gerard... He's right... I'm a shit friend."  
Brendon didn't say anything. He just held me whilst I fell asleep.


	21. Slipping Away

_Brendon’s P.O.V._  
  
When I went downstairs to get some coffee, I found Gerard at the coffee maker, a look of anger on his face. Gerard gave me a glare, to which I responded with one of my own.  
  
“What the hell is wrong with you?” Gerard asked, stepping over to me. “You fuck my little brother, then you break up with him and send him into this horrible depression. Then you turn around and fuck his best friend, who is the reason why you two broke up in the first place and why Mikey’s now on drugs and starving himself.”  
  
“I didn’t think something like this would even happen, Gerard,” I said, trying to defend myself. “I just… I shouldn’t have even kissed him. If I had known that this would happen, I would’ve just stayed in the friend zone. I still really care about him-”  
  
“Then why would you do this to him?”  
  
“I don’t know! I just… after I beat up Pete for what he did to Mikey, Justin… we just… we kissed!”  
  
“Hold up,” Gerard said, “What did Pete do to my little brother?”  
  
I hesitated, not quite sure how to go about this. How was I supposed to tell him that his brother had been raped? I sighed, knowing that I would have to give him an answer.  
  
“You know that concert Mikey went to a few days ago?” Gerard nodded. “Pete had invited the three of us, but Justin refused to go… Pete had, uh… Pete raped him a few days before.” I tried to ignore the look of shock on Gerard’s face as I continued. “Pete had drugged Mikey at the concert, and I was about to take him home when Pete took him instead. I tried to stop him, but Andy assured me that everything would be fine.” I swallowed hard. “I had no idea that anything had happened until… until Pete sent me a picture-”  
  
“Let me see the picture,” Gerard said.  
  
“Gerard, it’s-”  
  
“Let. Me. See. The. Picture.”  
  
I nodded and sighed, pulling out my phone. I pulled up the picture and slowly handed it to Gerard. Gerard looked like he was going to be sick.  
  
“Pete raped him. Pete raped Mikey, and I could’ve prevented that…” I whispered, “I didn’t, and that’s how all this started. I’m so sorry, Gerard.”  
  
“He never told me,” Gerard whispered, sitting down, “He didn’t tell me that Pete raped him? He… he didn’t tell me about the drugs or the anorexia…  _what else hasn’t he told me?_ ” Gerard gave me a helpless look.  _“What else is my brother hiding from me?”_  
  
“As far as I know,” I said, “Nothing else. Gerard, I understand that you’re mad at me for being with Justin. I understand that Mikey will be upset… I just… he needs to know. I need to tell him.”  
  
Gerard seemed rattled by what he had just discovered. “Y-you’re right… I am mad at you. But you just told me this, and I realize that you’re not the only cause. I’m sorry, Brendon, and I’ll let Justin know that I’m sorry… but that doesn’t change that what you’re doing now is hurting Mikey.”  
  
“Which is why I need to talk to him.”  
  
Gerard nodded. “Yeah. You really do. And if he tries to kill himself, tries anything that’ll hurt him, I know who to blame.”  
  


* * *

  
  
“Mikey? Can we… can we talk?”  
  
Mikey nodded, prompting me to close the door. I sat down on the bed, across from where he sat. Immediately, he asked, “Is this about you and Justin?”  
  
I nodded, “Yeah. Look, Mikey, I know it’s a dick move, but-”  
  
“I get it, Brendon. Look, I have no say in who you date. I have no say in who Justin dates. It’s awkward, and, yes, it  _is_  a dick move, but I do understand. Things like this happen, and I have to accept that.” Mikey sighed, pulling his knees up to his chest. “Gerard said that Justin was being a shit friend. I’d agree if Justin wasn’t one of my only friends. He’s  _not_  a shit friend… he was there by my side since day one. I’m not willing to throw that all away over this. As long as you two keep the kissing and the loving to a minimum when you’re around me… then fine. Fuck all you want.”  
  
I got up and pulled Mikey into a tight hug. “I swear, Mikey… I still care for you. I still want you to smile and laugh and be happy. I want you to stop with the drugs and stop starving yourself. Justin feels so guilty about this… I think it would be best if you two talked, too.”  
  
Mikey nodded and sighed shakily. “I will. I need him to know that he’s still me best friend.”  
  
“Good,” I said, smiling. I kissed the top of his head and added, “I want you both to be happy, Mikey.”  
  


* * *

  
  
I laid down next to Justin, panting hard. Gerard had taken Mikey home a few hours ago, and Frank had gone out for a job interview, so we had the house to ourselves.  
  
“I just… I can’t believe that he’s okay with this,” Justin panted, laying his head down on my chest. “I would’ve thought that he’d hate my guts.”  
  
“He told me that he didn’t want to lose any of his friends. That’s really bittersweet,” I sighed, kissing his forehead.  
  
Justin gave me a loving smile. “I… I really hope he gets better. I hate seeing him like this.”  
  
I nodded before bringing him in for a soft kiss. “Go to sleep, babe. You sound tired.”  
  
Justin nodded and sighed in content. He was soon sound asleep, which left me to my thoughts.  
  
Justin and I fell in love after all this drama happened… which brought something to my mind.  
  
Maybe Justin didn’t love  _me_ … rather, he loved what I did. I defended the two of them, beat the shit out of Pete after he raped them. Maybe he was so touched, he convinced himself that he was in love.  
  
I didn’t want to think like that, so I pushed that thought away. Surely it was just me doubting myself.  
  


* * *

  
A few days later, the two of us were making out on my bed. The thought still nagged at me as I nipped at Justin’s collarbone, and I continued to ignore it. Finally, Justin stopped me.  
  
“Brendon… I’m really not in the mood for sex,” he said, “I’m so sorry.”  
  
“Hey, it’s fine, Justin,” I murmured, kissing him, “It’s fine. I understand. We have a whole month, anyway, so I’m in no hurry.”  
  
Frank and Gerard were out of state, so the two of us were alone for the next month. Mikey’s mother was supposed to be taking care of him, but she left a day after Gerard did. Gerard had thought that she wouldn’t stick around, so he asked me to check in on Mikey often, to which I agreed to do.  
  
“Justin… I have a really serious question.”  
  
“Yes, Brendon?”  
  
“Are you  _really_  in love with me,” I asked, “or are you in love with what I did for you and Mikey?”  
  
Justin furrowed his eyebrows and opened his mouth, as though he were going to say something, then closed it again. “Brendon… what do you mean?”  
  
“Justin, we could barely stand each other when Mikey and I started going out. You  _hated_ me. We sort of became friends after you were raped, and after I beat up Pete for what he did… you kissed me. So… are you in love with  _me_ , or do you only  _think_  you’re in love because of what I did for you and Mikey?”  
  
“I… I really don’t know, Bren,” Justin sighed, resting his head on my shoulder. “Um… before you and Mikey were a thing, I had this insane crush on him. I… I  _still_  do. He’s just… he’s a wonderful, beautiful person, both inside and out. He makes my heart soar and-  _oh my god."_  Justin gave me a guilty look. “Brendon, I’m sorry-”  
  
“Don’t be, Justin,” I said, kissing his forehead. “I had no idea that you loved him for so long. It kinda makes me feel like a douche.”  
  
“Well,” Justin sighed, “At least you’re not the one that forcefully took away my virginity.”  
  
I sighed and pulled Justin closer to me. “Justin… if you  _really_  love him… you need to tell him. He needs this now more than ever. I’d rather you date the one you’ve loved for so long rather than the one you only  _think_  you love.” I gave him one last kiss on the lips. “C’mon… let’s go tell Mikey right now that you love him. Let’s try to get things back to normal.”  
  
Justin smiled at me as we stood up off the bed. He pulled me into a hug, his arms wrapped around my neck. “Thank you so much for understanding, Brendon.”  
  


* * *

  
  
Mikey wasn’t answering the door when we arrived at his house. Justin looked like he had lost all hope when I remembered something from the very first time I came. I checked the door and, sure enough, it was unlocked.  
  
“I swear,” I sighed, “That kid really needs to learn to keep the door locked.” Justin nodded in agreement and followed me into the house, which was eerily quiet. An uneasy feeling set in my stomach as I called Mikey’s name.  
  
“Maybe he’s sleeping?” Justin suggested.  
  
I shook my head. “Mikey’s a pretty light sleeper… unless it’s after sex.”  
  
Justin’s face turned pink, signaling that he didn’t really need to know that. I moved upstairs and checked Mikey’s bedroom. Nobody was present.  
  
“Brendon!” Justin sounded frantic when he called my name. I ran out of Mikey’s room and into the bathroom, where I found Mikey trembling in Justin’s arms. A little blood dripped from Mikey’s lips and he looked extremely pale. I looked into the toilet and discovered that Mikey had been purging a bit too much, as there was blood present.  
  
“I’ll call an ambulance,” I said, snapping out of my daze. Justin nodded and ran his fingers gently through Mikey’s soft locks.  
  


* * *

  
  
Justin was curled up next to Mikey in the hospital bed, tears streaming from his eyes. I rubbed his arm, offering what comfort I could to Justin as he watched Mikey sleep.  
  
There had been a small tear in Mikey’s stomach lining, which was easily patched up through surgery. Currently, an IV drip was supplying the nutrients that Mikey hadn’t been receiving, wires monitored his heart rate, and an oxygen mask had been placed over his pale face, assisting in the effort to breathe.  
  
The doctor said that Mikey would be okay. I found it hard to believe, considering how tiny he looked in the bed, but I was assured that Mikey would be ready to leave by tomorrow evening. I had already called Gerard, who promised to be back within the next few hours. I was sure to get an earful for this, but frankly, that was the last thing on my mind.  
  
“He’ll be okay, Justin,” I said, kissing his forehead. I placed a kiss onto Mikey’s as well, offering whatever comfort I could to the two. “Get some rest. I’ll wake you if he wakes up.”  
  
Justin quietly thanked me before his eyes slid shut letting sleep take him. I shrugged off my jacket and draped it over the two of them, sighing heavily. It was sure to be a long night.  
  


* * *

  
  
I was starting to doze off when Mikey shifted in his sleep. I immediately snapped out of it, closely watching Mikey for any signs of waking. Once I was sure that Mikey really was waking up, I shook Justin lightly.  
  
As soon as Mikey’s eyes opened, he made a confused sound. His hand went for the oxygen mask that obscured his features, and he slipped if off. Justin brought him in for a gently hug, a sigh of relief escaping him.  
  
“I’m so sorry, Mikes,” Justin whimpered.  
  
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, Justin,” Mikey sighed softly, “I just… I pushed a little too hard.”  
  
For a few minutes, it was silent- just Mikey being held by Justin, with me watching at the side. Justin then pulled away, gave me a look, and placed his lips on Mikey’s. Mikey seemed alarmed, but he didn’t exactly fight it.  
  
“J-J-Justin… Br-Brendon’s right there!”  
  
“I know,” Justin sighed, “We… we broke up. I was in love with what he did for us, rather than who he was, Mikey. I was really touched that he would defend the two of us from that monster… and I tricked myself into thinking I loved him.” He pecked Mikey’s lips softly and added, “I’ve loved you since the beginning. Your smile, your laugh, your awkward knees… I love everything about you, flaws and all. It really hurts to see you doing this to yourself.” He gently began to stroke Mikey’s cheek. “I love you, Mikey. I love you so much… please stop hurting yourself like this.”  
  
I smiled at the two and stood. “I’ll give you guys a few minutes.” I left the room, leaving the two alone.  
  
Once I was outside of the room, though, I couldn’t help but feel a bit jealous. Thing is, I wasn’t sure who I was jealous of.


	22. When the World Breaks Your Heart

_Mikey’s P.O.V._  
  
“And if you need to talk, Mikes, just call me, okay?”  
  
I nodded, if nothing else, to humor Gerard. I haven’t been doing so well without the heroine, and as of late, Gerard refused to let me leave the house without eating. Mom had come down from New York to look after me, as per Gerard’s request, but I could tell she didn’t want to be here.  
  
Gerard kissed my forehead and sighed softly. “I love you, Mikes.  _Please_  don’t do anything that you’ll regret.”  
  
I nodded again, sighing. “Go, Gerard. You haven’t been spending much time with Frank lately, and I think you two need some time alone together.” I gave him a tight hug, nearly reluctant to let him go. “I’ll see you in a month, Gee.”  
  
“I’ll call as often as I can, Mikey, I promise.” He ruffled my hair and grabbed his bags. “Make sure you eat enough! And take care of yourself! And-”  
  
“He gets it, Gerard,” Frank chuckled, grabbing Gerard’s arm. “C’mon, he’s not an idiot.”  
  
As Frank pulled Gerard out of the house, I waved goodbye to them. As soon as they had pulled out of the garage and drove off, mom gathered the bags she had packed.  
  
“Mom? Where are you-”  
  
“I’m going back to New York, Michael,” she said, refusing to look at me. “I’m not staying in the same house as a junkie.”  
  
“Mom, I’ve stopped-”  
  
“Michael James Way, you will not argue with me!” I flinched as she raised her voice. “You, young man, are  _nothing_  to me. You are  _not_  my son.”  
  
That cut me to the core, making me feel even worse than before I started taking drugs. “M-Mommy-”  
  
She left the house, completely brushing me off. The door slammed and I started sobbing, running up the stairs and into my room.  
  
I went for my phone, prepared to call Gerard and tell him that mom left me. I stopped, though, remembering that he hadn’t had any alone time with Frank since all this began. He had been too busy trying to get me clean and getting me to eat to have even a few minutes with his boyfriend. My next thought was to call Justin, but for all I knew, he was probably being fucked by Brendon as this was going on.  
  
I suddenly felt sick to my stomach. Justin and Brendon both meant a lot to me, really, but it disturbed me to see that they were together. My ex and my best friend… how fucked up was that? I wanted nothing more than to get back together with Brendon, but at the same time, I knew that Justin deserved to be happy, too, especially after what happened to him.  
  
Then again, Pete’s the reason why I’m not with Brendon anymore. He’s the reason why I started taking heroin, the reason why I’ve been purging. I feel so dirty because I  _let_  him do this to me.  
  
I stared at the mirror on the wall, looking back at my reflection. I could see my bones, but my mind refused to process this- I was still fat. I was still ugly. I was still a whore, a junkie, a faggot, and just about anything and everything in between.  
  
I walked into the bathroom, kneeling next to the toilet. I breathed deeply and stuck my long fingers into my mouth, forcing them to move to the back of my throat. I vomited into the toilet, and normally, once was enough, but I went further this time.  
  
The third time around, I felt strange. I looked down into the toilet cautiously, fear clawing my insides as I saw blood mixed into the bile. I felt something drip from my lips. I wiped at it and found more blood on my hand.  
  
I passed out right there, hearing someone call my name from downstairs.  
  
…  
  
Something warm was lying next to me, making me feel safe. I wondered if I was dead, but then I heard the beeping of a heart monitor. It occurred to me that I wasn’t dead, but that didn’t really make me feel much better. I opened my eyes, glancing up at Justin, whose eyes were red from tears, and Brendon, his expression conveying concern. Confused, I took off the oxygen mask that was on my face and set it aside. Justin pulled me in for a gentle embrace, sniffling softly.  
  
“I’m so sorry, Mikes,” he whispered. He sounded like he had been crying. Concerned, I attempted to reassure him.  
  
“You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, Justin. I just… I pushed a little too hard.”  
  
We fell silent. Justin’s arms were still wrapped around me, and it suddenly occurred to me that Brendon might feel a bit awkward- I mean, his boyfriend holding his ex would probably seem pretty weird. I was about to say something when I felt Justin’s lips against mine. Surprise gripped me, but to my surprise, I didn’t fight back.  
  
When we finally broke apart, I barely managed to squeak, “J-J-Justin… Br-Brendon’s right there!”  
  
“I know,” Justin sighed, “We… we broke up. I was in love with what he did for us, rather than who he was, Mikey. I was really touched that he would defend the two of us from that monster… and I tricked myself into thinking I loved him.” He pecked my lips and added, “I’ve loved you since the beginning. Your smile, your laugh, your awkward knees… I love everything about you, flaws and all. It really hurts to see you doing this to yourself.” He began to stroke my cheek, trying to make me see it his way. “I love you, Mikey. I love you so much… please stop hurting yourself like this.”  
  
Brendon stood, smiling at us. “I’ll give you guys a few minutes.” As he left the room, I couldn’t help but feel relieved. It would still be awkward, that was true, but it could’ve been far worse than that.  
  
I rested my head on Justin’s shoulder, sighing softly. I felt really tired, but I didn’t really want to sleep. “Justin?”  
  
“Yeah, Mikey?”  
  
“Did you really love me for that long?”  
  
Justin blushed, nodding. “It’s a bit silly, isn’t it?”  
  
I laughed softly before kissing his cheek. “A little. But really, it’s sweet. Actually, I kind of feel like a dick for doing that to you.”  
  
“Don’t feel like that, Mikes,” Justin murmured, holding me close, “You just didn’t know.” He began to stroke my hair softly, slowly lulling me to sleep. He kissed my hair and added, “Go to sleep, Mikey. I’ll be here when you wake up.”  
  
“Promise?” I asked childishly.  
  
“I promise, Mikey,” Justin murmured, rubbing my lower back. He kissed me softly and held me close as sleep took me.  
  
…  
  
I woke up the next morning feeling happier than I’ve ever felt since breaking up with Brendon. I glanced up at Justin, smiling at his sleeping face. His arms were still wrapped around me, making me feel like nothing could hurt me.  
  
“Hey, Mikey. Good morning.”  
  
I looked over at the voice and saw Brendon with a Starbucks latte in his hand. He looked tired, as though he had stayed up the entire night.  
  
“Good morning, Brendon,” I mumbled quietly.  
  
Brendon grabbed one of the other two coffees sitting on the nightstand and handed it to me. I thanked him and took a small sip of the coffee, savoring the taste.  
  
“How are you feeling, Mikes?” Brendon asked, sitting in the chair next to the bed.  
  
“Better,” I sighed softly. I leaned over to kiss Justin’s cheek. “When can I get out of here?”  
  
“They said you’ll be allowed to leave in a few hours. They need to check a few things and prescribe some pain medication, but other than that, you’ll be fine soon.” Brendon sighed softly, running his fingers through his hair. “To be honest, when we found you on the floor, I didn’t think you’d be okay. You scared us to death, Mikey.”  
  
I looked down at the cup of coffee in my hands. “I’m sorry, Brendon. I just… I felt so fat and ugly and disgusting-”  
  
“Mikey, calm down,” Brendon said, setting his coffee down. “It’s okay. What matters is that you’re alive. That’s all Justin and I care about.” He pulled me in for an embrace, kissing the top of my head. “Gerard told us to check in on you as often as possible… he, uh, he didn’t think your mom would stick around to look after you. I’m glad we found you then, because I don’t know what we’d do if you died or something.” He pulled back a little, enough to be able to look me in the eyes. “I’ve already called Gerard about this. He’ll be here soon-”  
  
“Oh, shit,” I sighed. I had just ruined yet another opportunity for Gerard and Frank to have some time together.  
  
“Gerard told me to tell you that it’s okay,” Brendon quickly told me upon hearing my tone. “Actually, he said that he probably would’ve come home early, anyway.”  
  
“That doesn’t make me feel any better, Brendon.”  
  
Brendon sighed softly. “Okay, let’s just change the topic.” He gave me a small smile and asked, “How’d things go between you two last night?”  
  
…  
  
Gerard decided that it had been too soon to leave for an extended period of time and promised Frank that he’d reschedule their little getaway. I still felt guilty for forcing them to end it early, but Frank reassured me that everything was fine and that Gerard should be helping me through this.  
  
We decided to have dinner together, just the five of us. Frank and Gerard spent hours in the kitchen, which left Justin, Brendon, and I to hang out.  
  
I’d be lying if I said that it wasn’t a little awkward. However, we managed to get around that by watching some horror movies. I was snuggled up against Justin’s chest, watching some chick being ripped apart on the screen as he held me close. Brendon wasn’t too far away, completely engrossed in the movie.  
  
Slowly but surely, the tension was starting to level out. It became less awkward to be in the same room with Brendon and Justin at once, which really took quite a bit of stress away. Content, I snuggled closer to Justin, sighing softly. He kissed my forehead, smiling as he pressed me to his chest.  
  
There was a knock on my door before it opened. Frank popped his head in and said, “Dinner’s ready, guys.”  
  
I shut off the television and removed the DVD from the player, putting it away before I took Justin’s hand. We walked down the stairs and into the dining room, where Gerard had set everything up.  
  
“Jesus, Gerard,” I said, “You’ve really outdone yourself.”  
  
Gerard rolled his eyes. “Well, I’m not going to invite three other people to dinner and make macaroni and cheese or some shit.” He took his seat next to Frank and added, “Anyway, you really need to eat. The doctor said that you haven’t been getting the nutrients you need, which is why your body shut down on you. I’m not letting you go through that again, Mikey.”  
  
Justin sat down beside me, pecking my cheek. “Agreed. Baby, I don’t want to see you hurt yourself.”  
  
“Can we please stop talking about it?” I asked as I placed some pasta on my dish, “I just want to put that behind me.”  
  
“Of course, Mikey,” Justin said. We began to discuss the horror movie we had been watching mere minutes ago, putting the incident behind us.  
  
…  
  
Justin and I had the house to ourselves a few days later. Gerard and Frank were out on a date, and Brendon was out with Ryan and Spencer. We had been watching  _Happy Tree Friends_  when Justin paused it.  
  
“What’s wrong, Justin?” I asked, noting the look on his face.  
  
“Mikey, my aunt is really sick,” he sighed, “I have to leave for a little while to help take care of her.”  
  
“Oh, Justin…” I wrapped my arms tightly around him, kissing his cheek. “I’m so sorry, baby.”  
  
Justin wiped at a few tears that had begun to fall from his eyes. I held him tighter, offering my shoulder for him to cry on. “She’ll get better, Justin…”  
  
“I really hope so, Mikey,” he sighed, “She’s the best. I don’t want to lose her, y’know?”  
  
I nodded, “I know, baby. I understand. She needs you more than I do.”  
  
“Mikey, I promise that I’ll check in on you often. I’ll call every chance I get and-”  
  
I chuckled softly. “I know you will, Justin. I know you will.” I rested my head on his shoulder, sighing softly. “I’ll feel a bit lonely, but I know that you’ll only be a phone call away.”  
  
Justin cupped my cheek and softly pressed his lips to mine. I wrapped my arms around his neck, and his found their way around my waist. Slowly, the kiss became more passionate. I was soon lying on the floor, with Justin straddling my hips. We broke the kiss due to the need for air, but we both knew it was just the beginning.  
  
“Um… should we move this to the bed?” Justin asked, flustered.  
  
I nodded quickly, “Yes, that would be great.”  
  
Justin helped me up, only to push me down onto my bed. He pressed his crotch against mine, his lips attacking mine as he grinded down on me. I moaned against his lips as his tongue slipped into my mouth, exploring me. I pushed my hips up, meeting his. The friction only excited me further as I began tug at the bottom of his shirt. He got the hint and slipped it off, with mine soon joining it on the floor.  
  
As Justin kissed my pulse, I felt his fingers fumbling with the button of my jeans. I helped him unbutton them and he slowly unzipped them, sliding my jeans and boxers off all at once. I suddenly felt very exposed, very self-conscious about my body.  
  
Justin seemed to notice and pulled away for a moment, looking down at me through eyes that were clouded with lust, yet still conveyed true love. “You’re so beautiful, Mikey.” He pressed a kiss to my heart before sliding his tongue across one of my nipples. I gasped softly, yearning for more of his lovingly lustful touches.  
  
His jeans and boxers soon joined mine on the floor. While we made out, I caught him by surprise and flipped us over so that I was on top. I kissed my way down his body until I got to his dick. My tongue ran across the slit, eliciting a moan of pleasure from Justin’s lips. His positive reaction prompted me to slowly take his hardened length into my mouth.  
  
Justin’s hands rested on my head, lightly tugging on my dark locks. My tongue scraped along the underside of his cock, relishing in his moans.  
  
“Fuck, Mikey,” Justin breathed. I smirked around his cock and sucked harder, his moans further arousing me.  
  
Finally, I released his length. Justin questioned me about the whereabouts of the lube before retrieving it. After he found it, he lubed up his fingers and slid one into me, lightly nipping my neck as he prepped me. I pushed back against his fingers, craving more. I began to grand against his leg as he slipped in a second. By the time he got to the third, I was practically shivering in anticipation.  
  
Justin laid me down on the bed and had me lift my legs up. Slowly, he pushed into me, letting me get used to the sensation. I could tell that he didn’t want to hurt me, especially after what we had both been through.  
  
“You can move a little faster, baby,” I assured him, kissing him softly. “I’m okay. I’ll let you know if you’re hurting me.”  
  
Justin slowly picked up the pace, carefully watching me for any signs of pain. Each time was a little faster, a little harder, and a little deeper. As he began to search for my sweet spot, he began to kiss up and down my neck. My hands found their way to Justin’s back and my fingernails dug lightly into his back. Justin had built up a rhythm, and I could feel myself growing closer.  
  
I let out a scream of pain and pleasure as Justin hit my prostate. “Fuck, Justin,  _faster!”_  
  
He struck my prostate harder, making me come closer to my orgasm. I could tell that he was close, too, but not willing to be the first to cum. He pressed his lips harshly to mine, conveying his feelings to me in a very clear way.  
  
I came hard against him, gasping his name. He followed soon after, his cum filling me. He collapsed onto the bed, snuggling close to me. He kissed me softly, bringing me close.  
  
“I’m going to miss you, Just,” I sighed softly. He kissed my forehead, holding me tightly.  
  
“When you think about it, Mikey, it’s not going to be that long,” Justin murmured, “I’ll be back before you know it.” He brought me in for one last kiss before pulling the blankets around us. I snuggled close to his chest, drifting off in his arms.


	23. I Lied

I stood outside Justin's house, my arms wrapped around him as we kissed goodbye. He was only going for about two weeks but it felt like so much longer. I had an ache in my chest as our kiss drew to a close.  
  
"I love you, Mikey Mouse."  
  
"I love you too, Justin... Wish your aunt the best for me, my dear."  
  
"Of course I will."  
  
Justin’s mother smiled at me.  
  
“Mikey would you like a lift home before we leave?”  
  
“No thank you, Mrs. Siegel. I would hate to put you out of your way and I enjoy the walks."  
  
Justin and I kissed again and Justin picked up his suitcase, getting into the car. I waved, smiling as he waved back, waving until my arm ached. I sighed and turned around as the car drove into the distance. Shoving my earbuds in my ears and my hands in my pockets, I started the half-an-hour walk back home.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Upon opening the door, I cringed. I forgot that Frank was coming around today. I was meant to be around Justin’s. I stared at the underwear that littered the floor and turned my music up louder, heading to my room to grab a bag. I didn’t know where the hell I was going to sleep tonight but I was getting out the house. I shoved a load of clothes into the bag, phone charger, wallet, the new Avengers comics. I put it on my shoulder and headed back down, slamming the door shut on my way.  
I walked for about an hour before sitting on a bench, sighing as I dropped my bag on the floor. My feet ached like there was no tomorrow; I was pretty sure I had blisters on my toes and heels. Screw the goth boots. I kicked them off and slouched on the bench, barely able to breath. I took deep breaths and let them out slowly before curling up on the bench. My phone vibrated and I pulled it out to see a text from Brendon.  
  
'Hey. Where you at? Gee don't know where you are. You wanna sleep over? x'  
  
I swallowed before shoving my phone back in my pocket before getting up and putting my boots in my bag, walking barefoot to Brendon's.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Brendon opened his door when I knocked and grinned at me.  
  
"Hey emo boi."  
  
I punched his arm and walked in, dumping my bag on the couch and sitting down, pulling a stone out my foot.  
  
"Mikes? What happened to your feet?"  
  
"Boots were hurting."  
  
"So you walked bare foot?"  
  
"Yea..."  
  
"There's something not right with you..."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I curled up on Brendon's floor, tossing and turning. I just couldn't sleep. I sighed and got up to go and get a drink. I sipped on the water as I watched out the window. Being away from Justin sucked. I wanted to call him but he'd be asleep. I groaned and put my glass in the sink, spinning around at the sound of someone on the stairs. Brendon walked out of the shadows.  
  
"Mikes... You alright?"  
  
"Yea I'm fine Bren. I just.. Can't sleep. It's so weird being away from Justin."  
  
Brendon walked over and leant on the side next to me.  
  
"You two have been joined at the hip almost since you moved here."  
  
I nodded and scratched at the tattoo on my arm, wrinkling my nose.  
  
"He's my best fri-"  
  
Brendon's lips on my own stopped my mid sentence. I froze up. What was I meant to do? I should push him away but... My lips began to press back against Brendon's before I shoved him away. I stumbled upstairs and groped around for my hoodie.  
  
"Mikey!"  
  
I heard Brendon come running up the stairs and felt tears prick in my eyes. I'd just cheated on Justin. I wanted Gerard. I needed Gerard. I shoved my stuff in my bag and pushed by him, running downstairs and out the door, tears running down my face.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
Gerard woke me up in the morning and I flicked an eye open.  
  
"School time boyo."  
  
I groaned and got up, tugging on my hair absentmindedly, brushing it with my fingers. I shoved on my clothes and blinked at myself in the mirror. I stared at the top of my stomach, obvious under my shirt. Tears pricked up. No wonder Justin had left the state. I was getting fat again. He didn't love me anymore. He wanted to get away from me. I shoved my hoodie on, pulling my hood up, grabbed my bag and stormed out the house. I scuffed my shoes as I walked, frowning at the absence of music. I searched my pockets before groaning. I'd left my phone at Brendon's. The memory of Brendon's lips on my own flashed back to my mind. Brendon had really loved me when I had been skinny. When I gained weight, he threw me to the curb. A plan slowly formed in my mind as I headed to Sociology.  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I sat in Sociology, slouching in my seat, hand fiddling with taper as I stared at the board. Brendon hadn't come to class, which was weird for him. I waited until half way through the lesson before shoving my hand in the air.  
  
"Mr. Way?"  
  
"Can I go to the toilet?"  
  
She nodded and I jumped up, heading through to the toilets. I could have sworn I heard someone say my name as I pushed the door open. I knelt down and shoved my fingers down my throat, gauging as I coughed up. I felt the familiar burn as my food came up, the familiar emptiness in my stomach. I jumped out of my skin when the door was slammed open and hands grabbed onto me. A hand covered my mouth and I thrashed around.  
  
"Mikey! It's me! Brendon! Stop it calm down."  
  
I slowly calmed down when I realised I wasn't in serious trouble and I slumped, letting my tears flow.  
  
"You bloody idiot Mikey... Let's get you home."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
  
I stumbled through my front door, holding onto Brendon's arm.  
  
"You wanna tell me why you did it this time, Way?"  
  
"You, Justin. Everyone hates me when I'm fat."  
  
Brendon stared at me.  
  
"I don't hate you, Mikey."  
  
He kissed me again and this time, I didn't fight it. I slid my arms around his neck and kissed back.  
  
Brendon's hands slid up my shirt, slowly pulling it up. I smiled weakly and helped him tug it off of me before his hands went down to unbuckle my belt. He let them fall to the floor before slipping my pants down, pressing small kisses to the scars on my thighs. I moaned softly, knowing I would regret this one day. As he stood up, I slid my hands up his own shirt, smirking as I felt the material under my hands. I gently ripped it off of him, leaning over to suck on his shoulder. Brendon cleaned off the hallway table with a sweep of his hand, laying me down and tugging my boxers off before stripping the rest of his body quickly. I felt him push into me and I let out a yelp, a mix of pain and pleasure. He started thrusting quickly and I reached out, gripping onto his shoulders. He felt so good... It had been too long since I'd been with Brendon, months. I felt Brendon going faster and let out a shrill yell of pleasure, which turned to a groan when I heard the phone ring.  
  
"Leave it, it's probably Gerard."  
  
He nodded and started grunting as he thrusted harder into me.  
  
"Scream for me Mikey... Let me know what you want."  
  
I let out a scream instantly and heard the begging tone in my voice.  
  
"HARDER! FASTER! BRENDON PLEASE!"  
  
He did as I asked and his hand jerked around my aching cock. I arched my back and thrusted up into his hand, and I felt a heat in my stomach.  
  
"BRENDON I'M GONNA CUM!"  
  
He slammed hard into my prostate and I screamed his name as I came hard over my chest, moaning as I felt him fill me up.


	24. Are You Mine

_Brendon’s P.O.V._  
  
I felt bad for kissing Mikey and instigating this affair, and Justin wasn’t the only reason why. Mikey was in a horrible state of mind and was in a vulnerable position- really, I was taking advantage of him, and I hated that. He deserved so much better than being given the love he thinks he needs.  
  
As I carried Mikey to bed, I considered ending the affair with Mikey. What Justin didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him, after all. I could at least let Mikey know that if he needed anyone, he could always come to me. If he ever needed a shoulder to cry on or a friend to just hold him tightly, I would be there.  
  
Then again, did I really want to give this up? As I laid down next to Mikey, who was sound asleep, I decided that I didn’t want it to end. I had missed holding him close like this, falling asleep with him wrapped in the safety of my arms. I missed kissing him softly and hearing his cute little giggle.  
  
I missed calling him my Mikey Mouse.  
  
As I held him close, I took in the appearance that wasn’t the same as it had been since we dated. New scars lined his pale skin, piercings that just didn’t match his personality covered his face (although I found the nose ring rather attractive), and I could see his ribs poking through. It worried me that he had undergone such changes, but I knew it wasn’t my fault. I held Mikey tighter, remembering that I used to be friends with the asshole that made the sleeping angel in my arms the way he is now.  
  
“I love you, Mikey Mouse,” I murmured, kissing his forehead softly. I held him tightly, slowly falling asleep.  
  


* * *

  
When I woke up the next morning, Mikey was in the process of getting dressed, tugging a Dead Kennedys shirt over his head. I got out of bed and pulled him into a hug from behind, kissing his cheek. “’Morning, Mikes.”  
  
Mikey rested his head on my shoulder, yawning. “G’morning, Bren.” He turned around and buried his face into the crook of my neck. I kissed the top of his head, gently rubbing his back.  
“What’s wrong, sweetie?” I tried to kiss him, but he pulled away.  
  
“Brendon, I’m so sorry,” he whimpered, “But I… I can’t keep doing this. It’s just… it’s not fair to Justin.” Tears began to slide down his cheeks, prompting me to wipe them away with my thumb.  
  
“Mikes…” I held him tightly, resting my head on top of his. “Oh, Mikey… please don’t cry.” I tilted his head up so I could look him in the eye.  
  
“Listen to me, Mikes. I understand that you don’t want to go behind Justin’s back. I understand that you don’t want to hurt him. I shouldn’t have kissed you… I shouldn’t have started this. I’m so sorry, Mikey.” I stroked his hair, letting him cry into my chest.  
  


* * *

  
When Mikey walked into class a few days later, he was in tears. As he sat down next to me, I gave him a concerned look, which he brushed off. This really concerned me- even after he changed so drastically, he never ignored me. He had also been avoiding me the past few days, and, for some strange reason, had started to hang out with Pete.  ** _Pete._**  
  
Since Mikey wouldn’t talk to me, I decided to go to Justin. He gave me a death glare, which gave me an answer as to why Mikey was suddenly avoiding us.  
  
“Justin… why is Mikey hanging with Pete?”  
  
“Why the fuck should I care?”  
  
I was taken aback by Justin’s sudden bitterness. “Just, that son of a bitch raped you both and-”  
  
“I don’t fucking care if Mikey hangs out with that asshole,” Justin spat bitterly. “As far as I’m concerned, the two of them deserve each other.”  
  
I gave Justin a glare. “Justin, I know you’re angry, but I know you don’t mean th-”  
  
“Yes, I fucking do! For all I care, Pete could rape Mikey all he wants-”  
  
Angrily, my fist connected with Justin’s face. Justin fell to the floor, his nose bleeding. He gave me a glare before tackling me to the ground, punching me in the jaw.  
  
“Brendon, what the hell is wrong with you?!” Ryan was trying to pry me off of Justin while some other kid tried to pull Justin away. They finally managed to pull us apart, and the teacher sent us to the nurse’s office, then to the principal’s office.  
  


* * *

  
On the way back from the principal’s office, where we both had received four hours of detention, I sighed. “I… I’m sorry, Justin. I shouldn’t have hit you.”  
  
“I kind of deserved it. Um… I’m sorry for saying that Pete should rape Mikey,” Justin sighed softly, “It just… it came out and I really didn’t mean it.”  
  
“I know, man. We all say things when we’re angry.” I stopped and pulled him in for a tight hug. “I, uh… I assume you know what went down between Mikey and me while you were gone.” When Justin nodded, I sighed. “I’m so sorry. I want you to know that I was the one that started that. Mikey, he was just… he was so lonely. He started purging again, and I… I-”  
  
“He started purging again?” Justin gave me a look of guilt. “Oh… I didn’t… I didn’t know.” Justin sighed, closing his eyes. “Shit, I’m a terrible friend.”  
  
“Hey,” I said, “Don’t say that, Justin. You didn’t know.”  
  
“Do you have any idea what I said to him when we broke up?” Justin asked me, “Do you have any idea what I called him? No wonder he’s hanging out with Pete… I’m an even bigger asshole than the guy that raped him”  
  
I hesitated before asking, “Justin, what did you say to him?”  
  
A few things that Justin told me would’ve been expected- slut, whore, and sleaze, just to name a few- but there were other, much worse things that Justin had said, things I tried my hardest to ignore.  
  
“Okay, I expected some of that,” I admitted, “But you’re right- that was pretty low and you should feel bad about that.” When Justin looked down at the ground, ashamed, I gently lifted his face so that we were looking each other in the eye. “However… I can see that you do still care about Mikey.”  
  
I sighed, wondering how we were going to fix things. In all honesty, I didn’t want to give Mikey to Justin. I  _loved_  him, and I wasn’t willing to give him up. Then again, I still had feelings for Justin, too. I wanted him to be happy, just like I wanted Mikey to be happy.  
  
“Just,” I said, “I know this is going to make me sound like a creeper, but I just want you to hear me out.” Justin nodded, leaning against the lockers. “Okay, I know that this really sounds weird… but we both really like Mikey, and we care deeply for him. We hate to see him get hurt. We hate to see him upset. And I don’t know if the feeling is mutual or not, but… I still have feelings for you, too. I was thinking that maybe we could… um… make this work.”  
  
Justin gave me an intrigued look. “Are you suggesting that we share Mikey?”  
  
I nodded. “I know that it sounds really weird, but I figure that we can make this work.”  
  
Justin seemed hesitant, but he nodded anyway and said, “I’m willing to give it a try… that is, if Mikey doesn’t hate me.”  
  
I smiled and kissed Justin softly. “Don’t worry, Just. We’ll get everything straightened out.”


	25. Chapter 25

_Mikey's POV_

I decided to skip the second half of social studies, especially after Brendon and Justin had fought. They would hate me now, I was sure of it. I just headed straight down to the bleachers, smiling softly to see Pete there. I dumped my bag next to his and crawled further under them, clearing my throat. He turned and grinned at me.

"Mikes!"

"Hey, Pete."

He handed me the spliff and I took an immediate couple of hits before passing it back. He took a look at me before slipping an arm around my waist.

"What's wrong, Mikey boi?"

"I cheated on Justin with Brendon and Justin found out. He called whilst we were um.. Yea. And he heard it all and he said nothing and today he just went apeshit at me and I feel so bad. Brendon and Justin had a massive fight today just before lunch. I have no place with them anymore. They'll both hate me. All because I can't keep my pants up and my legs shut."

Pete snorted a little as I spoke before nodding.

“You know, sounds a little like you fucked up big time Mikes. Yea they’re gonna be pissed at you. Any sane person would be pissed at you in this sort of situation. They’ll probably hook back up with each other now.”

 

His heart was, probably, in the right place but it hurt.

 

“And where the fuck does that leave me?”

 

I took the blunt back from him, taking another hit and feeling the soothing affects soon after.

 

“Well, you’ve got me haven’t you?”

 

I froze. I didn’t want to be in a relationship with Pete. He’d spoken before against how people who self-harmed were idiots and scum and- Damn it why were tears lumping together in my throat? He would see them and throw me to the side without a second thought. But if I said no… What if he raped me again? I couldn’t handle that. Not a second time. I barely made it out the first time. Did Pete even really like me or was he using me as a ‘fuck you’ to someone? Questions ran around my head and I barely had time to register when Pete kissed me. Forcefully. It took me a few seconds to react before I kissed back, my arms slowly slipping around him.

* * *

 

 

I never meant to go back to Pete’s after school but it just sort of happened. He took me back to his car (a frigging convertible – he was in a band) and I just sort of climbed in.  I didn’t even realise I was doing it. His house was pretty damn cool. He lived in the garage. I was uneasy when I realised where he was leading me, but I calmed down pretty quickly when I saw it was converted into a bedroom / band practice room. Pete tugged me onto the bed and I looked up at him, obviously nervous.

 

“Mikes, I know I made some mistakes in the past but I want to make them up to you. I don’t want anything between us to be broken because of some stupid high mistake.”

 

I nodded, hesitantly before leaning up to kiss him. Pete gently straddled me, wrapping his arms around me and nipping my lip. I gently opened my mouth; I found myself willing. His hand slid up my shirt and I dropped my arms, helping him tug it off. 


	26. Who's Using Who?

_Brendon’s P.O.V._  
  
Since Mikey refused to come near me at school and wasn’t answering and of my calls or text messages, I decided the next best place to reach out to him was Facebook. Justin was pacing back and forth beside my bed, a nervous expression on his face as he pondered the possibilities.  
  
“What if he starts cutting himself again? What if swallows a whole bottle of pills or hangs himself? What if-”  
  
“Justin, you’re really not helping.”  
  
“Sorry… I just… I’m really worried. What if what I said to him is the last thing I say?” Justin sat down on my bed and sighed, burying his face into his hands. “Fuck…”  
  
I gently patted his shoulder. “Try to stay positive, okay? He posted a status update about five minutes ago, so he isn’t dead.”  
  
Justin glanced down at the laptop and read the status update, sighing a bit when it was something about a horror movie. He seemed reassured, so I scrolled down for any signs that Mikey was hurting. Unfortunately, I saw something much worse.  
  
There was a picture of Mikey and Pete that was posted a few hours ago, with Mikey’s head resting on Pete’s chest. He was fast asleep, a seemingly content look on his face. One of Pete’s arms was draped over Mikey’s thin frame, his lips pressed against his forehead. They both had disheveled hair I could tell by the look on Pete’s face that something happened between them.  
  
My blood was boiling.  
  
“That bastard,” I growled. I glanced back at Justin, whose eyes were wide with surprise and anger. His fists were clenched, his knuckles were turning white, and he shook visibly. I wrapped my arms around him and kissed him softly. “Calm down, Justin. I think there’s something more to this.”  
  
Sighing softly, I sent Mikey a message, hoping he wouldn’t ignore it. To my surprise, Mikey messaged me back.  _I thought you hated me._  
  
I sighed a bit in relief. Mikey wasn’t angry with me, which made me feel a little better.  _Of course not, Mikes. I still love you and I still care for you._  
 _  
Pete told me that you both hated me…_  
  
“What? Is that why he’s hanging around with Pete?” Justin asked.  
  
“Apparently,” I replied.  _Pete’s a liar, Mikes. Justin and I still care about you._  
 _  
Pete may have lied about you, but I doubt he lied about Justin._  
  
I glanced over at Justin, watching as his expression went from angry to guilty. “I really fucked up, didn’t I?”  
  
I nodded, passing him the laptop. “Yeah, you did… but now is your chance to fix this.”  
  
Justin nodded and started typing. His fingers flew on the keyboard, typing out a long, heartfelt apology. As soon as he was finished, he sent the message, sighing softly. Mikey replied a few minutes later.  
 _  
I don’t think you know how happy I am to have read that._  
  
I smiled softly and took the laptop back.  _Good. Do you mind coming by my house? We’d rather talk this out in person._  
 __  
Yeah. I can be there in five.  
  


* * *

  
The moment Mikey set foot into my house, Justin pulled him into a tight embrace. Mikey let out a small squeak in surprise, but the smile on his face told me that everything was going to be okay. He buried his face into the crook of Justin’s neck, remaining in the embrace for the longest time. After a few minutes, he slipped out of Justin’s embrace and wrapped his arms around me tightly, nuzzling my shoulder.  
  
I rubbed his back gently, sensing there was something wrong. I glanced down at Mikey, watching as he buried his face into my chest. I kissed the top of his head softly before asking, “Why have you been hanging out with Pete?”  
  
Mikey didn’t respond. I pulled him closer, murmuring, “I don’t want you to think that I’m judging you. I mean, if you’re happy with Pete, then, by all means, go out with him. I just want to make sure that your relationship with him is consensual.”  
  
“Well… the relationship itself is consensual… but…” Mikey sighed, resting his head on my shoulder. “The sex… I just…”  
  
“You can tell us, Mikey,” Justin murmured.  
  
“If I say no to him, what if he rapes me again?” Tears cascaded down his face, prompting me to wipe them away. “If I say yes, he’s gentle and caring. He’ll kiss me softly and say that he loves me. But… but if I don’t… what will he do? Will he drug me and hold me down? Will he beat me until I’m unable to defend myself? I-I’m scared, Brendon!”  
  
“Shh… we’ll get you out of this, Mikey, I promise.” I rocked him gently, letting him sob into my chest. I turned to Justin. “Just, could you take him up to my room? I’m gonna see what we can do to fix this.”  
  
Justin nodded, pulling Mikey close. He gently led Mikey upstairs, murmuring soft, soothing words as I sat down, thinking of a way to get him out of the relationship he wanted to escape.  
  


* * *

  
I walked into my room to find Mikey and Justin fast asleep on my bed, wrapped in each other’s arms and looking content. I smiled as I sat down carefully, reaching out to stroke Mikey’s hair gently. A small sigh escaped him, with a tiny smile forming on his face. I kissed them both softly before grabbing my phone and texting Pete.  
 _  
What the hell do you want, Urie?_  
 _  
Look, man, I just want to talk, okay?_  
  
Pete didn’t reply for several minutes. I had begun to think he ignored my message when he finally replied.  
 _  
Fine. Meet me at Andy’s uncle’s restaurant?_  
 __  
Yeah. I’ll be there in a few.  
  
I wrapped the blankets around Mikey and Justin gently, kissing Mikey’s temple softly. “Sleep tight, you two.”  
  
As I got up, Justin stirred. His eyes opened slowly as he managed to mumble, “Bren?”  
  
“Yeah, Just?”  
  
“Where’re you goin’?”  
  
“I’m gonna go meet with Pete and get him to leave Mikey alone.” I kissed him softly, stroking his hair. “You watch over him, okay?”  
  
Justin nodded, smiling sleepily. “I will, Bren…”  
  
“Good. Go back to sleep, baby. I’ll be back soon.”  
  


* * *

  
Pete was waiting at a booth when I arrived at the restaurant. He waved me over and smiled, calling my name. I walked over to the booth and sat down across from him, faking a smile. A waitress brought us two menus before going off, chewing her gum obnoxiously.  
  
“So, Pete,” I sighed, deciding to rip off the proverbial bandage, “When did you and Mikey become a thing?”  
  
At this, Pete smirked. “Oh?  _That’s_  what you’re after. Does it bother you?”  
  
“Well… yeah, kinda.” I sighed softly, looking him in the eye. “I mean, you  _did_  rape him. I’m just… I’m concerned that this relationship isn’t as consensual as you make it seem.”  
  
Pete chuckled darkly, glancing down at the menu. “So what if it’s not? As long as Mikey’s a good boy and bends over when I tell him, we don’t have a problem.”  
  
“ _What did you just say?_ ”  
  
Pete giggled, “I know you heard me. Mikey’s pretty little ass is all mine, now, and there’s nothing you can do about it.”  
  
I took in a deep breath, trying to remain calm. I wasn’t going to let Pete get to me. I wasn’t going to let him win.  
  
“And I’m not going to give him up. He’s my little slut now, and there’s noth—”  
  
My fist collided with Pete’s jaw faster than I could blink. People around us were immediately sent into a panic as I went at it with Pete, smashing his face into the table with fury that would’ve scared the Hulk. Once I was sure Pete got the message, I finally let up. He gripped his jaw in agony, tears running down his face as I said, “You better stay the fuck away from Mikey, scumbag.”  
  


* * *

  
When I got home, I found Justin reading  _The Red Dragon_  with Mikey’s head resting in his lap. Mikey was still fast asleep, his breathing soft, while Justin stroked his hair absentmindedly. I smiles and sat down beside him, kissing his cheek. Justin looked up from the book and smiled at me.  
  
“How’d it go?”  
  
“Pete’s not going to do a thing to Mikey anymore.”  
  
Justin grinned, kissing me softly. “Oh, Mikey’s going to be thrilled!” He gently pushed a few strands of hair out of Mikey’s face, smiling lovingly at him.  
  
I wrapped my arms around him, smiling. “Yeah.” My smile fell, though, as I remembered Pete’s words. “Just, what Pete said about him… fuck, it was horrible. He acted like Mikey was his fucking property instead of a human being.”  
  
Justin set his book aside and smiled softly. “Well, everything’s going to be okay now, Brendon.” He kissed me sweetly, snuggling closer to me. “What matters now is that Mikey is safe and out of that relationship.”  
  
I smiled and pulled Mikey close to me, resting his head on my chest. “Yeah… you’re right, Just.”  
  
Justin smiled and kissed the top of Mikey’s head, gently rubbing his back. He was soon sound asleep in my arms, with his arms wrapped lovingly around Mikey. I smiled and gently laid them down on the bed, snuggling close to them as I wrapped the blankets around us. I soon joined them in the realm of sleep, feeling better than I had in a long time.


End file.
